YOUR CHILDREN ARE MORE PRECIOUS THAN A 'MESSAGE'

Sir: How should Britain respond to the growing use of crack cocaine
(Analysis, 5 June)? Here in the United States, New York City Mayor Rudy
Guiliani chose the zero tolerance approach during the crack epidemic of the
1980s. Meanwhile, Washington DC Mayor Marion Barry was busy smoking crack
and America's capital had the highest per capita murder rate in the
country. Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously. The decline
was not due to a slick anti- drug advertising campaign or the passage of
harsh mandatory minimum drug laws. Simply put, the younger generation saw
first hand what crack was doing to their older brothers and sisters and
decided for themselves that crack was bad news.

This is not to say that Britain can do nothing. Access to drug treatment is
critical for the current generation of crack users. Britain's notoriously
lengthy waiting lists for treatment ensure a prolonged crack epidemic. In
order to protect future generations from drugs like crack, policymakers
need to seriously consider taking Home Secretary David Blunkett's cannabis
reclassification proposal one step further and legalising cannabis
outright. As the most popular illicit drug, cannabis currently provides the
black market contacts that introduce consumers to hard drugs. This
"gateway" is the direct result of a fundamentally flawed policy. Drug
policy reform may send the wrong message to children, but I like to think
the children themselves are more important than the message.

ROBERT SHARPE

Program Officer, Drug Policy Alliance

Washington DC