DRUG WAR DOESN'T 'FIGHT CRIME'

J. Michael Jones is to be commended for raising awareness of the drug
war's col-lateral damage in his March 23 The Taos News op-ed. Attempts
to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant
only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive
drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads des-perate addicts
to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war
doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime.

With alcohol prohibition repealed, liquor bootleggers no longer gun
each other down in drive-by shootings, nor do consumers go blind
drinking unregu-lated bathtub gin. While U.S. politicians ignore the
drug war's historical precedent, European countries are embracing harm
reduction, a public health alternative based on the principle that
both drug abuse and prohibition have the potential to cause harm.

Examples of harm reduction include needle exchange programs to stop
the spread of HIV, marijuana regulation aimed at separating the hard
and soft drug mar-kets, and treatment alternatives that do not require
incarceration as a prerequisite. Unfortunately, fear of appearing
"soft on crime" compels many U.S. politicians to support a failed drug
war that ultimately subsidizes organized crime. Drug abuse is bad, but
the drug war is worse.

ROBERT SHARPE

MPA, POLICY ANALYST

COMMON SENSE FOR DRUG POLICY

Washington, D.C.