Pubdate: Thu, 07 Sep 2000 Source: Guardian Weekly, The (UK) Copyright: Guardian Publications 2000 Contact: 75 Farringdon Road London U.K EC1M 3HQ Fax: 44-171-242-0985 Website: http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/GWeekly/front/ Author: Jenny Tongue, and Robert Sharpe WRONG AIM IN DRUGS WAR Perhaps if President Clinton dared to stay a little longer in Colombia he might finally realise that his country's attempts to combat the drugs trade have not and will not work (Clinton takes cover from drug war flak, August 31). For decades now the United States has continued to try to wipe out the supply of drugs by fumigating swaths of Colombia with glyphosates and possibly now the lethal fungus Fusarium oxysporum . What has happened? Coca production has continued to increase each year (20% last year), ballooning elsewhere. Instead of involving himself in a civil war that he cannot win, and instead of committing Colombians to even more misery, Mr Clinton should concentrate on looking at reducing demand for drugs in his own country. Better still, he - and indeed all the international community - should seriously rethink the whole approach to drugs based on the experience with tobacco and alcohol. Imagine the possibilities of reforming the illegal drug trade and tapping in to an estimated $525bn (equal in value to the oil and arms industries). We could reduce crime and corruption in all countries, reconstruct producer countries that have been so devastated, and treat the addicts in our own countries. When can we have a proper debate on drugs use and production? (Dr) Jenny Tongue MP London - ------------------------------------------------ The drug war fuels crime while failing miserably at protecting children from drugs. Because dealers don't ID for age, children have an easier time buying cannabis than beer. The single most effective means of destroying the international drug trade is the legalisation of cannabis for adults. To maintain criminal sanctions for a plant that is arguably safer than alcohol puts children at risk. While there is nothing inherent in cannabis that compels users to try harder drugs, its black market status puts users in contact with criminals who push them. Current drug policy is effectively a gateway policy. The Netherlands closed this gateway by separating the hard and soft drug markets. Yet the US Drug Enforcement Administration has a long history of criticising the Netherlands, even though it has substantially lower rates of drug use than the US. It is obvious that the DEA is far more concerned with maintaining job security than minimising drug abuse. Robert Sharpe, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk