DRUG WAR FAILING AT HIGHEST LEVELS

The case of the Jasper County Constable charged with intent to
distribute illicit drugs is not an isolated incident. The
institutional corruption engendered by the drug war stretches from
coast to coast and reaches the highest levels. The high-profile Los
Angeles Police Department Rampart scandal involved anti-drug officers
selling drugs and framing gang members. A former commander of U.S.
anti-drug operations in Colombia was found guilty of laundering the
profits of his wife's heroin smuggling operation. Entire countries
have been destabilized by the corrupting influence of the illegal
drug trade. Like alcohol prohibition in the 1920s, the drug war is
causing tremendous societal harm, while failing miserably at preventing use.

While U.S. politicians ignore the drug war's historical precedent,
European countries are embracing harm reduction, a public health
alternative based on the principle that both drug abuse and
prohibition have the potential to cause harm. Examples of harm
reduction include needle exchange programs to stop the spread of HIV,
marijuana regulation aimed at separating the hard and soft drug
markets, and treatment alternatives that do not require incarceration
as a prerequisite. Unfortunately, fear of appearing "soft on crime"
compels many U.S. politicians to support a failed drug war that
ultimately subsidizes organized crime. Drug abuse is bad, but the
drug war is worse.

ROBERT SHARPE, MPA

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

www.csdp.org

Washington, D.C.