DRUG WAR FUELS CRIME, IT DOESN'T FIGHT IT

Editor:

I hope Canadian taxpayers didn't spend too much on the Canadian Centre on
Substance Abuse study mentioned in your May 1st article. That alcohol is
the drug most often associated with violent behaviour is well established.
The United States tried prohibiting alcohol once, with disastrous results.
Organized crime flourished and kids had easier access to alcohol than ever
once mobsters took over the distribution.

The lessons learned and their relevance to the drug war are unfortunately
lost on today's policymakers. Forcibly limiting the supply of illegal drugs
while demand remains constant only increases 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.

Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to 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 enforceable age controls.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. Marijuana may be
relatively harmless compared to legal 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.

Robert Sharpe, M.P.A.

Program officer Drug Policy Alliance,

Washington, DC