Pubdate: Sun, 18 Mar 2001
Source: Tulsa World (OK)
Copyright: 2001 World Publishing Co
Contact:  P.O. Box 1770, Tulsa, OK 74102
Website: http://www.tulsaworld.com/
Author: Robert Sharpe, MPA, program officer of The Lindesmith Center-Drug 
Policy Foundation

COUNTERPRODUCTIVE 'WAR'

Alex Adwan's excellent March 11 column makes the point that, despite its 
high price tag, the war on drugs is not yielding much fruit. The costly 
drug war is not just ineffective, it's counterproductive.

The crime, corruption and overdose deaths attributed to drugs are all 
direct results of drug prohibition. Because admitting an illicit addiction 
is tantamount to confessing to criminal activity, drug use is driven 
underground and treatment confounded.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, injection drug 
use has directly and indirectly accounted for 58 percent of all AIDS cases 
among women in the United States. This public health crisis is a direct 
result of zero tolerance policies that restrict access to clean syringes.

Ironically, the drug war's negative consequences are routinely used to 
justify its existence. It's time to stop wasting taxpayers' money on drug 
policies that do more harm than good.

Robert Sharpe
Washington, D.C.
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