DRUG WAR HAS FAILED; TRY SOMETHING ELSE

To the editor:

The efforts of the Jackson County Drug Enforcement Task are no doubt well
intended, but ultimately counterproductive. Attempts to limit the supply of
illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability
of drug trafficking. In terms of addictive drugs like meth, a spike in
street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed
desperate habits. Make no mistake: The drug war doesn't fight crime.

It fuels crime.

Rather that waste resources attempting to overcome immutable laws of supply
and demand, policy makers should look to the lessons learned from America's
disastrous experiment with alcohol prohibition. The thriving black market
has no age controls that work to keep drugs out of the hands of children,
making it easier for kids to buy pot than beer. There are pragmatic
alternatives. The Netherlands has reduced overall drug use by replacing
marijuana prohibition with regulation. Dutch rates of drug use are
significantly lower than U.S. rates in every category.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets and establishing age controls for
marijuana have proven more effective than zero tolerance.

Although marijuana is relatively harmless compared with alcohol, marijuana
prohibition is deadly.

As the most popular illicit drug, marijuana provides the black market
contacts that introduce youth to addictive drugs like meth. Taxing and
regulating marijuana is a cost-effective alternative. Politicians need to
stop worrying about the message that the drug policy reform sends to
children and start thinking about the children themselves.