Regarding your April 13 editorial, drugs did not spawn Mexico’s organized crime networks. Just like alcohol prohibition gave rise to Al Capone, drug prohibition created the violent drug-trafficking organizations behind all the killings in Mexico.

With alcohol prohibition repealed in the United States, liquor bootleggers no longer gun each other down in drive-by shootings. It’s worth noting that Mexico’s upsurge in violence only began after an anti-drug crackdown created a power vacuum among competing cartels.

Drug prohibition funds organized crime at home and terrorism abroad, which is then used by shameless politicians to justify increased drug war spending. It’s time to end this madness.

Whether we like it or not, drugs are here to stay. Changing human nature is not an option. Reforming harmful drug laws is an option, one that a Congress looking to cut wasteful spending should pursue. Students who want to help reform harmful drug laws should contact Students for Sensible Drug Policy at www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com.