Moscow, October 10, 1997

Nikolaj Khramov, coordinator of the Transnational Radical Party in Russia and independent candidate for Moscow City Duma in the XXV district, sent a letter to the President of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovskij. In particular, he wrote:

``Two days ago you spoke at the State Duma in favor of the legalization of prostitution. Your convincing speech may be considered as a striking example of founded and persuading criticism of prohibitionism for a negative social phenomenon that is impossible to win. Therefore, the state has to snatch it out of the hands of mafia and to take it under legal control.

However, another kind of prohibitionism makes the society to suffer as well. Its social, medical, economic, criminal and political consequences harm the society much more than the consequences of the "prohibited" prostitution, controlled by mafia. I am speaking about prohibitionsim for drugs.

By analogy with the prostitution, liberal and pragmatic approach to this problem means snatching the drugs out of the hands of mafia and eliminating the criminal aspect of this phenomenon. It is necessary to make production and distribution of drugs unprofitable for mafia. The only way is to legalize the drugs and to take them under an effective state control. This was already done for alcohol, tobacco, drastic neuroleptic and psychotropic preparations.

Unfortunately, <...> you never touch upon this question in your public speeches, in materials of Liberal Democratic Party and in everyday activity of the Parliament group you lead. Such a half-way policy and inconsistency can only make me feel bewildered. Especially as many others and I remember your ardent and convincing speech at the Conference organized by the Radical Party in 1990 in Historical and Archives Institute. In that speech you unmasked the unproductiveness and negative consequences of prohibitionism for drugs.

I hope that you <...> will declare your negative attitude towards prohibitionism - not only for prostitution, but for a much more dangerous social phenomenon, that is for drugs. It will be very timely, because in December there will be elections to the Moscow City Duma, the body that to a great extent determines the city policy for prostitution and for drugs.

I invite you to join all antiprohibitionists, including Russian members of the Transnational Radical Party, irrespective of differences in positions in other home and foreign political problems.''