FAILED DRUG WAR

Huntsville Public Safety Director Rex Reynolds makes the common
mistake of confusing drug-related crime with prohibition-related
crime. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand
remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking.

For addictive drugs like methamphetamine, a spike in street prices
leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed
desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime.

With alcohol prohibition repealed, liquor bootleggers no longer gun
each other down in drive-by shootings. Consumers no longer go blind
drinking unregulated bathtub gin.

While U.S. politicians ignore the drug war's historical precedent,
European countries are embracing harm reduction, a public health
alternative based on the principle that both drug abuse and
prohibition have the potential to cause harm.

Examples of harm reduction include needle exchange programs to stop
the spread of HIV, marijuana regulation aimed at separating the hard
and soft drug markets, and treatment alternatives that do not require
incarceration as a prerequisite. Unfortunately, fear of appearing
"soft on crime" compels many U.S. politicians to support a failed
drug war that ultimately subsidizes organized crime. Drug abuse is
bad, but the drug war is worse.

Robert Sharpe,
Washington, D.C.

Robert Sharpe is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy.