ADMIT DRUG WAR IS FAILING

Regarding John Dunn's June 10 guest opinion, "Meth enslaves the
children of users," methamphetamine is the latest dangerous drug to
be making headlines, but it won't be the last until policymakers
acknowledge the drug war's inherent failure. Drug policies modeled
after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black
market. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit
minors immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the children.

As a policy analyst for the organization Common Sense for Drug
Policy, I can report there are cost-effective alternatives to drug
war failure. The Netherlands has successfully reduced overall drug
use by regulating marijuana sales to adults. Dutch rates of drug use
are lower than U.S. rates in every category. Separating the hard and
soft drug markets has proved more effective than zero tolerance.
Because Dutch marijuana consumers do not come into contact with
sellers of hard drugs like methamphetamine, Dutch rates of hard drug
use are dramatically lower. By leaving marijuana distribution in the
hands of international drug cartels, U.S. drug policy effectively
facilitates hard drug use. Rather than admit to failure, shameless
tough-on-drugs politicians prefer to blame the plant itself for the
alleged gateway to hard drugs.

Robert Sharpe

Washington, D.C.