WAR ON DRUGS HAS OPPOSITE EFFECTS

The Editor,

Re: "Drug dogs turn up opposition," the Now, Nov. 2.

Regarding the debate over the possible use of drug-sniffing dogs in Surrey
schools, I hope Canada has better success with the police state approach
than the former land of the free and current record holder in citizens
incarcerated. Here in the United States, drug-sniffing dogs in schools,
police searches on public transit and random drug testing have led to a
loss of civil liberties, while failing miserably at preventing drug use.
Lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the U.S. than any country in Europe.

The U.S. offers Canada tragic examples of anti-drug strategies that are
best avoided. U.S. Centers for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57
per cent of AIDS cases among women and 36 per cent of overall AIDS cases in
the U.S. are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject
drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct result of
zero tolerance policies that restrict access to clean syringes. Can Canada
afford to emulate the tough-on-drugs approach of the United States?

While U.S. schools are finally dropping the once popular Drug Abuse
Resistance Education program, Canadian schools are just starting to
implement it. The scare tactics used do more harm than good. Students who
realize they've been lied to about marijuana often make the mistake of
assuming that harder drugs like heroin are relatively harmless as well.
This is a recipe for disaster.

Another worrisome U.S. import now used in Canada is civil asset forfeiture,
in which financial incentives created for police risk turning what should
be protectors of the peace into predators. Enough horror stories have
arisen surrounding forfeiture in the U.S. that the federal government had
to step in to curb abuses. Despite modest reforms, the U.S. remains one of
the most backward countries in the world in terms of drug policy. Canada
should follow the lead of Europe and "Just Say No to the American Inquisition."

The results of a comparative study of European and U.S. rates of drug use
can be found at: www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/espad_pr.pdf.

To verify U.S. Centers for Disease Control stats please see:
www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/idu.htm.

Robert Sharpe, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, D.C.