TACKLING the problem of drugs in society will take more than a single column.

It seems there are some police officers who have thrown in the towel when it comes to cutting crime. They use the excuse that drugs are now so prevalent there is nothing they can do about it.

Meanwhile, other so-called experts seem to regard the office worker popping a pill at a weekend rave as in the same class as a heroin addict.

What baffles me is why seemingly intelligent people seem to think the way to improve society is to legalise criminal activities. I suppose by legalising burglary, statistical crime would fall - but you would still have to clear up the mess.

In essence, this is exactly the same logic put forward by those who think that de-criminalising drugs and prostitution will turn users from the path of crime and do away with the black market. I believe the reality would be the complete opposite.

Of course society has a responsibility to help those in trouble and each year substantial sums are spent on trying to divert young people from the evils of prostitution and drugs. But this social responsibility does not extend effectively to offering a business boom to pimps and pushers.

Drug pushers will always be able to undercut shops because they don't pay tax or rates or have costs such as staff, heating, lighting etc. By legalising cannabis you will encourage a massive increase in the number of people experimenting - especially teenagers. Those that become hooked will quickly realise there are people in the shadows able to sell them a fix far cheaper than the corner shop, in the same way as many people buy alcohol and cigarettes smuggled in from abroad without duty being paid.

You therefore bring previously law-abiding citizens into direct contact with ruthless criminals who will encourage them to try harder drugs. When the trapped cannot pay for their kicks some will turn to crime.

Well-intentioned people have been trying to eradicate prostitution since biblical times but it has survived, so it would be a brave person who claimed to have the answer.

But a more recent phenomenon in Middlesbrough is prostitution taking over residential areas and this has led to some people suggesting legalising the activity might be a way of controlling it.

Again, I think people are totally missing the point. The first outcome of such a policy would be to advertise Middlesbrough as the North-East centre for prostitution.

Perhaps the advocates of such a move feel giving the green light to the red light would produce a tourist boom for the town - well that's not the way I want to see Middlesbrough develop. And you can be sure that prostitutes would still try to operate on the streets if they knew a legalised brothel was attracting a steady supply of customers to the town.

I wonder if the people calling for legal brothels to be established would be happy for one next door to them? Or indeed for their daughters or sons to work in such establishments? If it isn't acceptable for their children it shouldn't be good enough for anyone else's.