RUMSFELD REITERATES SUPPLY SIDE FAILURE PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 273 August 19, 2003 U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld may very well be the only person in the Bush administration capable of applying basic economic principles to drug policy. During his confirmation hearings in 2001 he boldly spoke out against the supply-side drug war, noting that America's drug problem is "overwhelmingly a demand problem... If demand persists, it's going to get what it wants. And if it isn't from Colombia, it's going to be from someplace else." More recently, Rumsfeld broke ranks with prohibitionist ideology once again, criticizing the supply-side drug war during an August 14th Town Hall meeting at the Pentagon. Prompted by a reporter's question on Afghanistan's booming opium trade, Rumsfeld exhibited a clear understanding of prohibition economics. "You push it down in one country, and it goes up in another country" said Rumsfeld. "You push it down in four countries, and the price goes up because there's a shortage, and the higher the price, the greater the willingness of people to take risk, the greatest -- greater the willingness of people to buy the kinds of things they need to hide what they're doing and to protect them as they transport these materials." Rumsfeld's answer can be read in its entirety at: http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2003/tr20030814-secdef0581.html Inspired by Rumsfeld, the Boston Globe ran a powerful August 16th editorial that used key portions of his comments to make the case for a long overdue shift in drug policy resources. Not only did the Boston Globe agree with Rumsfeld's take on the failure of the supply-side drug war, but their editorial board refused to buy into the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's claim that U.S. drug policy is "balanced." Thanks in part to Rumsfeld's straight talk, the Boston Globe is beginning to understand what is wrong with the drug war. Write the Boston Globe today to thank them for exposing the drug war's inherent imbalance. Be sure to tactfully let them know that it's not a just a question of resource allocation. Law enforcement and effective treatment are mutually exclusive. Would alcoholics seek help for their illness if doing so were tantamount to confessing to criminal activity? Thanks for your effort and support. It's not what others do it's what YOU do PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter, email messages, etc.) Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent letter list () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to if you are not subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit. This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness. Subscribing to the Sent LTE list () will help you to review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing efforts. To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form CONTACT INFO Source: Boston Globe (MA) Contact: Original Editorial: Pubdate: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 Source: Boston Globe (MA) Copyright: 2003 Globe Newspaper Company Contact: ( Website: (http://www.boston.com/globe/)http://www.boston.com/globe/ DRUG WAR DISTORTIONS IN ACKNOWLEDGING that opium production is on the rise in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has suddenly enlisted as a demand-side soldier in the war on drugs -- a move that is most welcome if it spreads to others in the Bush administration. For more than two decades, Washington's war on drugs has tilted heavily toward supply-side strategies: arresting drug smugglers and dealers; defoliating coca fields; attempting to squeeze off the production and availability of narcotics. But this approach has failed in Afghanistan, where US forces and the US-backed government have been less effective than the Taliban in controlling the production of opium and heroin. "My impression is that in a very real sense it's a demand problem," Rumsfeld said Thursday in a town hall question-and-answer session with civilian and military employees of the Pentagon. "It's a problem that there are a lot of people who want it, a lot of people with money who will pay for it, a lot of people who will steal from others to pay for it." As for Afghanistan, Rumsfeld said, "You ask what we're going to do and the answer is I don't really know." This shrug of impotence contrasts sharply with America's aggressive drug policy elsewhere. In Colombia, $1.6 billion goes into the effort annually, making it the third-largest recipient of US dollars after Israel and Egypt. In the end, Rumsfeld characterized drug use as "a whale of a tough problem. And I'm afraid that the ultimate solution for that is going to be probably found by attacking it in all directions, not just the supply side but the education and demand side as well." Rumsfeld's specialty is military conflicts, but his candid assessment should be a lesson to those leading the war on drugs. Will Glaspy, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, insists the overall policy is balanced, "combining strong enforcement with education and treatment. We know we can't arrest our way out of it." Yet the proportion of federal drug funds going to treatment was cut in half during the Reagan administration and has never recovered. And with nearly all 50 states slashing budgets in response to revenue shortfalls, state and local drug treatment facilities have been hard hit, including in Massachusetts. Those fighting drug abuse cannot avoid supply. The blooming poppy fields of Afghanistan -- once again the world's leading supplier of opium -- are a deserved embarrassment to the United States. But Rumsfeld is right in pointing to the other side of the market. There will be few victories in the war on drugs until effective treatment and education lower demand. But Rumsfeld is right in pointing to the other side of the market. There will be few victories in the war on drugs until effective treatment and education lower demand. SAMPLE LETTER Dear Editor, I'm glad someone in the Bush administration is capable of applying basic economic principles to drug policy. Your excellent Aug. 16th editorial on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's take on the supply-side drug war should be required reading at the Drug Enforcement Administration. It's not just a question of wasted resources. The tough-on-drugs approach essentially provides price supports for organized crime by limiting supply while demand remains constant. The DEA talks about a "balanced" approach involving enforcement, education and treatment, but talk is cheap. Using the criminal justice system to deal with substance abuse makes as much sense as using a baseball bat to fix a broken bone. I think it's safe to say that turnout at alcoholics anonymous meetings would be rather low if alcoholism were a crime pursued with zero tolerance zeal. Until more media follow the lead of the Boston Globe and begin to question drug war distortions, this country will continue to waste scarce tax dollars on misguided drug policies that discourage effective treatment - while subsidizing organized crime. Sincerely, Charles Brent Please note: The Boston Globe limits letters to 200 words or less. This is a sample letter only. Your own letter should be substantially different so that it will be considered for publication. ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See: Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/ TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS: Please utilize the following URLs http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm http://www.drugsense.org/unsub.htm We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter writing activists. Prepared by: Robert Sharpe = Please help us help reform. Send drug-related news to

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