THE DRUG WAR IS LONGER THAN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN WARS

The article illustrates what I learned over my 30-year career as a
federal agent: Cracking down in one place doesn't make drugs
disappear, it only moves the trade elsewhere. This so-called "balloon
effect," combined with the insatiable demand for drugs across the
globe, means that no level of law-enforcement skill or dedication can
make a significant dent.

The only way to pop the proverbial balloon is to legalize and
regulate the drug trade, which would eliminate the opportunity to
make enormous black-market profits. It wasn't easy for me to come to
this revelation after dedicating so many years to enforcing drug
laws, but it is common sense. Law-enforcement officers don't have to
chase gangsters selling booze from town to town because we ended the
failed experiment of alcohol prohibition decades ago. It is time we
do the same for other drugs.

Terry Nelson

Executive Board Member

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Granbury, Texas