LETTER OF THE WEEK

TIME TO END THE WAR ON DRUGS

Kudos to William Dixon for speaking the truth about our absurd war on
drugs. A fact-based public discussion is exactly what is needed.

When questioned about the utter ineffectiveness of their efforts, drug
war bureaucrats crow about the latest seizures and arrest figures as
evidence of success.

In fact, the only legitimate measure of success for drug policy is
whether it saves more lives than it destroys. In that regard,
prohibition is an unmitigated disaster. The overwhelming scientific
consensus is that black market violence, adulterated drugs, and the
spread of HIV are all exacerbated by prohibitionist policies.

Yet when confronted with hard evidence, our politicians choose to
disregard scientific fact and mutter vaguely about "the message this
sends to our children".

It's time for drug policies based on scientific evidence, not
political dogma.

Anders Froehlich,

San Rafael, CA

Pubdate: Sat, 18 Dec 2010

Source: Gainesville Sun, The (FL)

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n1038/a07.html