DON'T EMULATE U.S.'S ANTI-DRUG POLICIES

To the Editor,

Re: Drug roundup welcome sight, Editorial, Aug. 15.

Does moving open-air drug markets from one Nanaimo neighborhood to the
next constitute drug war victory?

Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains
constant only increase the profitability of 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 United States provides tragic examples of anti-drug strategies
that are best avoided.

Canada cannot afford to emulate the harm maximization drug policies of
the United States.

Robert Sharpe

Common Sense or Drug Policy

Washington, DC