'WAR ON DRUGS' ONLY FUELS CRIME

Re: The war on drugs is lost, Opinion Jan. 23

Regarding Fernando Henrique Cardoso's thoughtful op-ed, the drug war
is a cure worse than the disease. Attempts to limit the supply of
illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the
profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a
spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal
activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime,
it fuels crime.

The good news is that Canada has already adopted many of the common
sense harm reduction interventions first pioneered in Europe. The bad
news is Canada's southern neighbour continues to export a dangerous
moral crusade around the globe.

Can Canada afford to emulate the harm-maximization approach of the
former land of the free and current record holder in citizens incarcerated?

Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C.