WAR ON DRUGS FUELS CRIME

Re "Crime rate up; What it all means" (Editorial, Feb. 28) -

Your editorial made the common mistake of confusing drug-related
crime with prohibition-related crime. Attempts to limit the supply of
illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the
profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like crack
cocaine, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase
criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't
fight crime, it fuels crime.

The good news is that Canada has already adopted many of the common
sense harm reduction interventions first pioneered in Europe. The bad
news is that Canada's southern neighbor continues to use its
superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the
globe. The United States provides tragic examples of anti-drug
strategies that are best avoided.

ROBERT SHARPE Policy analyst