DRUG WAR'S CURE WORSE THAN THE DISEASE

Regarding columnist Mark Burnette's recent op-ed ...

When it comes to the drug war, mandatory minimum sentences have done little
other than turn the alleged land of the free into the world's biggest
jailer. If draconian penalties deterred illegal drug use, the goal of a
"drug-free" America would have been achieved decades ago. Instead of adding
to what is already the highest incarceration rate in the world, we should
be funding drug treatment.

The drug war is a cure that is worse than the disease. Drug prohibition
finances organized crime at home and terrorism abroad, which is then used
to justify increased drug war spending. It's time to end this madness and
instead treat all substance abuse, legal or otherwise, as the public health
problem it is.

It's worth noting that tobacco use has declined considerably. Public
education efforts are paying off. Apparently, mandatory minimum sentences,
civil asset forfeiture, random drug testing and racial profiling are not
necessarily the most cost-effective means of discouraging unhealthy choices.

Drug abuse is bad, but the drug war is worse.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.