A former police captain told members of the Scarborough Rotary Club Tuesday that the so-called war on drugs is a losing battle, and that legalization of drugs, while not a solution to the drug problem, is an approach to the crime and violence that surrounds the illegal trade.

Peter Christ, a speaker from a national organization called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, represents the new look of advocates for drug legalization. The group, dedicated to educating the public on the societal benefits of the legalization of drugs, had six members when it was founded in 2002, and has grown to 8,000 members, about 800 of which are current or former members of law enforcement.

Christ, a retired captain in the town of Tonawanda, N.Y., described war as something that people think of as “a short-term thing” that will eventually come to an end. Christ asked the audience, “Does anyone think drugs will go away?” No one raised a hand.

So, he asked, why are people so resistant to ending this impossible war? Because of the terminology, Christ said. Ending the war on drugs is equivalent to surrendering or giving up. But, Christ said, calling America’s drug policy a “war on drugs” is misleading. The word that describes it best, Christ said: prohibition.

“You are living in America in another period of Prohibition,” Christ said, “and it’s working as well as the last one.”

Christ said that people have accused him of being someone who would want to “put crack machines in the high schools.” Christ said that he responded to that accusation by saying, yes, he’d put it right next to the high school’s beer and cigarette machines.

“Go to a local high school and try to buy a bottle of Budweiser and see how successful you are,” Christ said. “Then go to a local high school and try to buy marijuana and see how successful you are.”

Christ compared the treatment of an alcoholic to that of a heroin addict, who both did not drive and were not harmful to other people or their property. The alcoholic would likely not be bothered by his neighbors, would be able to seek treatment immediately as desired and would be able to pursue his addiction at a licensed establishment.

The heroin addict, however, would be arrested immediately if found using. He would be sent to prison and branded for life as a felon.

“Why do we treat these people like this?” Christ asked. “Because we’re trying to help them,” he said.

Christ suggested that instead of spending money on incarcerating drug users, we could be spending it on helping them get treated for their problems.

“Ninety percent of people in prison are going to come home,” Christ said.

Christ emphasized the need in America to legalize and regulate the drug market place.

“We can’t get rid of drugs,” he said. “Let’s talk about something we can do.”

Rotary members were responsive to the speech. As President Phil Mancini thanked Christ, he told the speaker, “I really enjoyed your passion.” Mancini called the concept “an innovative perspective on a solution to a problem.”

Bruce Hinkel called the presentation “food for thought.” Hinkel agreed that legalization would get rid of the drug trade, but, he said, “it’s going to be hard to convince the American public of that.”

Ex-cop to Rotary: Legalize drugs