PROVIDING DRUGS CONTROLS CRIME

Switzerland already has program in place Prescription heroin
maintenance, as well as the legalization of marijuana, would deprive
organized crime of a core client base. This would render illegal drug
trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations addiction.

Regarding McKay Stangler's Nov. 28 editorial on the late Milton
Friedman, there is a middle ground between drug prohibition and free
market legalization. Switzerland's heroin maintenance program has
been shown to reduce disease, death and crime among chronic users.

Providing addicts with standardized doses in a clinical setting
eliminates many of the problems associated with heroin use. Heroin
maintenance pilot projects are underway in Canada, Germany, Spain and
the Netherlands.

If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized
crime of a core client base. This would render illegal heroin
trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations addiction.

Marijuana should be taxed and regulated like alcohol, only without
the ubiquitous advertising.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As long as
marijuana distribution remains in the hands of organized crime,
consumers of the most popular illicit drug will continue to come into
contact with sellers of methamphetamine.

Given that marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol aE" the
plant has never been shown to cause an overdose death aE" it makes no
sense to waste scarce resources on failed policies that finance
organized crime and facilitate the use of hard drugs. Students who
want to help reform harmful drug laws should contact Students for
Sensible Drug Policy at www.ssdp.org

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.