A LOSING BATTLE

Chicago's designation as a federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
("Laundering of gang drug cash targeted," news story, June 24) is no doubt
well-intended, but ultimately counterproductive. So-called drug-related
crime is in reality prohibition-related. Attempts to limit the supply of
illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability
of drug trafficking.

In terms of 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.

The burden on taxpayers grows every year as ever more drug offenders are
imprisoned. America now has the highest incarceration rate in the world,
yet drug use continues unabated as new dealers immediately step in to reap
inflated illicit market profits. Let's not kid ourselves about protecting
children. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors
immune to adult sentences.

Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to the never-ending drug war. There is a big
difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting children from
drugs. Decriminalization acknowledges the social reality of marijuana use
and frees users from the stigma of life-shattering criminal records. What's
really needed is a regulated market with age controls.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. Marijuana may be
relatively harmless compared with alcohol--pot has never been shown to
cause an overdose death--but marijuana prohibition is deadly. As long as
marijuana distribution remains in the hands of organized crime, consumers
will continue to come into contact with hard drugs like cocaine. Drug
policy reform may send the wrong message to children, but I like to think
the children themselves are more important than the message. Tough-on-drugs
politicians would no doubt disagree.

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