Bad policy

Regarding Judith McGinnis' thoughtful June 2 column, the U.S. drug war
has given the land of the free the highest incarceration rate in the
world. Prohibition-related violence has caused upward of 35,000 deaths
in Mexico over the past four years. Despite criminal penalties, the
U.S. has higher rates of drug use than European Union countries such
as Portugal that have decriminalized. With skyrocketing national debt
threatening the long-term viability of the U.S. economy, this country
can no longer afford to throw good money after bad drug policy.

Robert Sharpe

Arlington, Va.