SIR – Attempts to control the sale and use of highly-addictive drugs, in particular heroin, do not appear to have been effective.

But any attempt to allow the legal the use of heroin would raise the question of who would be allowed to sell the drug. It is impossible to ignore the possibility that potential dealers would be the same criminal element prepared to use violence to control their respective areas.

The problem created by the use of heroin is its addictive power which drives the user to pay for the drug at any personal cost. An addict once explained the problem by saying to pay for an expensive heroin habit, you can either steal or deal or in the case of some women, turn to prostitution.

Stealing to fund the habit creates a crime wave and the public suffer the resulting increase in robberies and violence. Dealing draws more people into drug dependency and further increases the problem. It is no coincidence that the majority of prostitutes, according to statistics, are working to fund their addiction to heroin.

Heroin addiction could be described as a serious self-inflicted illness which in turn creates huge problems for society.

Many people will understandably regard the provision of heroin to addicts under supervision as unacceptable. However, unless we can remove the need for addicts to steal or deal to fund their addiction, we will continue to pay the ever-increasing cost of the war on drugs with no end in sight.

John Fisher, Menwith Hill, Harrogate