DRUG WAR'S TACTICS FUEL CRIME INSTEAD OF FIGHTING IT

Attempts to limit the supply of drugs while demand remains constant
only increase the profitability of trafficking. For addictive drugs
like heroin, 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.

While the United States remains committed to the drug war, Europe has
largely abandoned drug prohibition in favor of harm reduction
alternatives.

Switzerland's heroin maintenance program has been shown to reduce
drug-related disease, death and crime among chronic users. Addicts
would not be sharing needles if not for zero-tolerance laws that
restrict access to syringes, nor would they be committing crimes if
not for artificially inflated black-market prices. Providing addicts
with standardized doses in a clinical setting eliminates many of the
problems associated with heroin use.

Heroin maintenance pilot projects are underway in Germany, Spain and
the Netherlands. If expanded, prescription maintenance would deprive
organized crime of a core client base. This would spare future
generations of addiction.

Putting public health before politics might send the wrong message to
children, but I like to think the children are more important than the
message.

ROBERT SHARPE

MPA Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy,

Washington, DC