The War on Drugs Has Been a Failure

One primary reason why America dumped Alcohol Prohibition, ironically,
was due to a massive increase in the rate of teenage alcoholism.
Prohibition, though wellintended, invariably leads to a horrific array
of societal ills.

Such is the case with Drug Prohibition in America today. By stuffing
the problem into a criminal closet we are guaranteed to fail. Imagine a
new drug policy where an addict could go to a government clinic to
receive a free, pure, maintenancelevel dose of their drug to curb their
cravings. Such a program, reinforced with truthful drug education,
would yield dramatic results. Violenceprone illegal markets would dry
up and disappear overnight, overdosing would cease, petty theft,
prostitution, and HIV and Hepatitis transmission rates would be
substantially reduced. Perhaps most importantly, the glamour that
surrounds and sustains the synthetic drug trade would pop like a
balloon.

If such an idea raises your moral hackles, consider what we are
currently getting for our $16 Billion dollar annual "War on Drugs"
investment. Cartels call all the shots, drugs are in every schoolyard,
needleborne disease runs unchecked, gangs are awash with cash, and
drugs are more glamorous than ever.

Two very different scenarios, America. Take your pick.

Kevin Nelson
Bow, WA