Oh boy, now the totally ridiculous French (and nearly worldwide) absinthe ban of the early 1900s is used to defend the (ahem) "War on Drugs". This is a letter to the editor in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. And yes, as a matter of fact, the French did prohibit absinthe for nothing, merely a hysterical overreaction, fed by the wine lobby, to bad publicity. Funny he should say that now. Wonder if Mr. Casey realizes it is now legal in France and nearly everywhere else, and that he can probably buy a bottle at his local liquor store?

Amesh A. Adalja ("End the drug war," Letters, March 4 and PghTrib.com) seems to believe that allowing the legal use of drugs will stop the violence by Mexican drug gangs from spilling over into the United States.

It may, but free access to drugs by the public will bring on consequences too serious to contemplate.

The French didn't prohibit the unrestricted sale of absinthe for nothing. It endangered the well-being of the whole nation.

William R. Casey
West Mifflin