THE WAR ON DRUGS IS A FAILURE

As you walk around Tufts, it is likely that you will overhear several
conversations regarding drugs. For some, it may be regaling tales of
shots taken and beers "shotgun'd." Others may be doting praise upon
the stimulants that kept them trucking through finals. And, of course,
conversations on the artistic merit of glassware and the dankness of a
particular plant are a constant in certain circles. Affecting one's
mental state through mind-altering substances is embedded in the human
experience, being particularly prominent among college students. This
enthusiasm suggests the potential for more comprehensive dialogue, one
that critically examines the United States' war on drugs and the
complementary, unsustainable growth of the American prison-industrial
complex. If we are to create a more perfect union, one that is both
just and cost-effective, we must reform the broken institution of the
American prison system. For the sake of our wallets and our souls,
something needs to be done.

I can't stress enough how important the war on drugs is to the current
state of affairs in the prison system. The number of inmates in state
prisons for drug offenses has increased 550 percent over the past two
decades, and of the more than two million people currently imprisoned
in the United States, approximately one-quarter have been convicted of
a drug offense. An oft-used counterpoint claims that most of these
drug offenders deserve to be behind bars because they are traffickers.
"No one gets arrested for possession," they say. The facts seem to
indicate otherwise. According to FBI data, 83 percent of drug arrests
are solely for possession.

Tellingly, the growing number of drug arrests does not correlate to an
increase in drug use. What then is driving this perpetual growth?
Simply, the structure of the system is flawed. As the number of
violent and property crimes decrease, law enforcement has increased
flexibility to pursue drug crime. Law enforcement is expected to
achieve specific quotas, often mandated by politicians and central
bureaucracies, for reducing crime. With fewer people committing
violent and property crimes, the source for meeting these quotas must
come from drug offenders. To consistently meet this quota, law
enforcement often targets the same neighborhoods it expects will
produce the results it is looking for. This "hood profiling" leads to
the disproportionate imprisonment of people of color and the
disruption of already disadvantaged communities.

Even arresting dealers does little to address the larger problem and
may be counterproductive. Our rationale for imprisoning dealers and
users alike is the assumption that the punitive measures imposed by
the prison system will deter others from making similar decisions.
This assumption is flawed and fails to take into account the market
forces at play. When we remove a dealer from the streets, we are faced
with the dilemma of the replacement effect. Because the illegal drug
trade is so lucrative, a result of prices artificially inflated by
prohibition, incarcerated dealers are quickly replaced, often by
younger recruits more prone to violence. At a time when the national
unemployment rate floats stubbornly around 9.4 percent, the job
availability of dealers encourages more people to become involved with
this type of criminal activity.

It's one thing to identify what's wrong with a system; it's another to
propose solutions that push policy forward. Drug addiction and abuse
are complex problems and are certain to yield an intense debate over
what should be done. However, it is imperative that we have this
discussion, on campus and beyond. The newly formed Tufts Students for
Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) aims to contribute to and facilitate this
conversation on campus by hosting speakers, discussions and events
that focus on drug issues that are often ignored due to taboo.

The Tufts chapter is a part of the larger SSDP, an international
grassroots network of students who are concerned with the impact of
drug abuse on communities, while acknowledging that the War on Drugs
has failed. It must be clear that SSDP neither condones nor condemns
drug use, but respects the individual's right to make decisions about
his or her own body and mind. SSDP works to mobilize and empower
students to advocate for sensible policies that mitigate drug-related
harm, while opposing counterproductive War on Drug policies,
especially those that harm youth.

Tufts SSDP's first event, this Thursday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. in Barnum
104, will feature Jack Cole, co-founder of Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition (LEAP). LEAP is a Medford-based organization composed of
current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice
communities who are speaking out about the failures of existing drug
policies. Speaking from years of experience in law enforcement, Cole
will discuss the failings of the war on drugs and what should be done
to bring the war to an end. It promises to be a very thought-provoking
speech, and I hope to see as many Jumbos attending as the room can
handle.

The regulation approach advocated by LEAP is one of many proposed
solutions as to how we should end the war on drugs. Though specific
solutions vary, there is a growing consensus across the political
spectrum that it needs to end. On the right, prominent voices such as
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), televangelist Pat Robertson, journalist
George Will and Glenn Beck have advocated for the decriminalization of
drugs. On the left, groups such as FireDogLake and Change.org and
individuals such as Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Dennis Kucinich
(D-Ohio) and Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) have made ending the War on Drugs a
policy priority. Change is not limited to the United States; countries
such as Mexico and Portugal have decriminalized the personal
possession of small amounts of drugs, an experiment that thus far has
yielded positive results. Real, sustained change, however, won't
happen unless there is a strong movement behind it.

The American criminal justice system, tainted by the disastrous war
on drugs, must be reformed. We must build a movement that opposes the
war and promotes new approaches to dealing with the public health
problem of drug abuse and addiction. Together, we will work locally
to effect change nationally in an effort to create a more just
criminal justice system, to ensure that addicts receive the treatment
and support they need and to guarantee an individual's right to
control their own consumption. Please do what you can to help; we
need all the support we can gather if we are to end this war.