LETTER OF THE WEEK

THE WRONG WAY TO FIGHT DRUGS

By Craig Jones

Re: Tories Take Harder Line On Illegal Drug Users, Oct. 5.

The Conservative government's antidrug strategy -- relying heavily on
prohibition, punishment and fear mongering -- empowers organized
crime, stigmatizes already marginalized people and further endangers
the health and lives of persons battling addictions. Although we
don't have the actual strategy in front of us yet, it is telling that
the words "evidence-based" and "harm reduction" appear nowhere in the
Prime Minister's remarks.

There is no reason to think that what has not worked for the last 40
years, and what has swollen the U.S. prison population beyond those
of China and Russia, will produce any positive effect on drug use or
abuse in Canada.

And mandatory minimum sentences are unjust because they punish
classes of crimes rather than individual wrong-doers.

After 40 years of "getting tough" by following the failed U.S. war on
drugs model, street prices for most drugs are lower, their purity is
higher and their availability is better. If the Conservatives would
listen to their own experts, they would have devised a very
different, much more humane, just, effective, compassionate and
evidence-based drug strategy.

But this is not it.

Craig Jones, executive director of the John Howard Society of Canada,
Kingston, Ont.

Pubdate: Sat, 06 Oct 2007

Source: National Post (Canada)

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1140/a06.html