DRUG PROHIBITION

Mark McCormick's column "Violence, danger not limited to urban areas"
(April 28 Local & State) confused the drug war's collateral damage with
drugs themselves.

Attempts to limit the supply of illegal 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.

Consider alcohol prohibition: Now that it's repealed, liquor bootleggers no
longer gun one another down in drive-by shootings, nor do consumers go
blind drinking unregulated bathtub gin.

Based on the principle that both drug abuse and prohibition can cause harm,
European countries are embracing harm reduction, such as 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.

Unfortunately, fear of appearing soft on crime compels U.S. politicians to
support a failed drug war that ultimately subsidizes organized crime.

ROBERT SHARPE Policy analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C.