HEROIN'S HARM

The increase in fentanyl-laced heroin overdose deaths in Pittsburgh
is cause for alarm ("Heroin overdoses leave 2 more dead in city, June 9).

Because heroin is sold via an unregulated illicit market, its quality
and purity fluctuate tremendously. A user accustomed to low-quality
heroin who unknowingly uses pure heroin will likely overdose.

The inevitable tough-on-drugs reaction to overdose deaths is a very
real threat to public safety. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal
drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability
of drug trafficking and fuel crime.

While the U.S. remains committed to moralistic drug policies modeled
after America's disastrous experiment with alcohol prohibition,
Europe has largely abandoned the drug war in favor of harm-reduction
alternatives such as Switzerland's prescription heroin maintenance
program, which has been shown to reduce drug-related disease, death
and crime among chronic users.

Putting public health before politics may send the wrong message to
children, but I like to think the children are more important than the message.

Robert Sharpe

Washington, D.C.

The writer is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy (csdp.org).