DRUGS BEHIND BARS

Re: "Drugs behind bars" (Aug. 20). The fact that the drug war cannot
keep drugs out of
prisons, much less schools, is indicative of its inherent failure.

Drug warriors would have us believe the drug war's collateral damage
is reason to throw good money after bad. Drug prohibition finances
organized crime at home and terrorism abroad, which is then used to
justify increased drug-war spending. It's time to end this madness and
instead treat all substance abuse, legal or otherwise, as the public
health problem it is.

Thanks to honest public education, tobacco use has declined
considerably in recent years. Apparently mandatory minimum prison
sentences, civil asset forfeiture, random drug testing and racial
profiling are not necessarily the most cost-effective means of
discouraging unhealthy choices.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.

(It's hard to equate crack cocaine addiction with cigarette smoking)