MORE HARM THAN PROGRESS IN DRUG WARS

Editor:

Regarding your Feb. 13 editorial (Being aware of the illegal drug
problem), cracking down on illegal drugs is easier said than done.

Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains
constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For
addictive drugs like heroin, 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 neighbour continues to use its
superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the globe.

The U.S. provides tragic examples of anti-drug strategies that are
best avoided.

U.S. Centres for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57 per
cent of AIDS cases among women and 36 per cent of overall AIDS cases
in the U.S. are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who
inject drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a
direct result of zero tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes.

Can Canada afford to emulate the harm maximization approach of the
former land of the free and current record holder in citizens incarcerated?

Robert Sharpe, MPA, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy,
Washington, D.C.