In Gregory Wawro's column on Jan. 31, he fails to make a distinction between drug use and drug abuse. I quote, "Drug users are not always ready, or even able, to admit they have a problem."

Alcohol is a drug, does someone who has two cocktails at a party every few weeks have a problem? Native American (and many other) cultures use hallucinogenic drugs such as peyote as part of their religious ceremonies (which, by the way, has been officially legalized by the United States government). Do they have a problem?

Similarly, does someone who smokes marijuana once or twice a week at home or with friends, whose grades or work performance are fine, whose life is in order, have a problem? Probably not.

The tobacco smoker at a pack a day is much more likely to get lung cancer. In point of fact, both alcohol and tobacco are many times more addictive than marijuana.

Laws are not always correct. The one prohibiting marijuana was passed in a wave of hysteria earlier in this century based on "facts" that have since been disproven. Prohibition didn't work, it merely helped create the mafia.

Forty to 50 percent of college students have smoked marijuana in the past year. Prohibiting this drug is probably a losing game also.

Before we jump on the "War on Drugs" bandwagon, we all need to stop, think and look at the facts. How harmful is a particular drug? Is there truly good reason for it to be illegal in the first place?

Or are we simply draining our police forces, channeling lots of money to the underworld, and making criminals out of a large portion of the population who are causing themselves and others no more harm than someone who has an occasional drink?