IN RESPONSE TO "CRIME PROBLEM ON DRUGS"

Tom Fletcher makes the common mistake of confusing drug-related crime
with prohibition-related crime in his Oct. 10th column. 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 their criminal activity to feed their 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 that Canada's southern neighbor continues to use its
superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the
globe. The United States provides tragic examples of anti-drug
strategies that are best avoided.

U.S. Center for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57 percent
of AIDS cases among women and 36 percent of overall AIDS cases in the
U.S. are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject
drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct result
of zero tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes. 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, MPA

Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy