Pubdate: Mon, 07 May 2001
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2001 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Author: Robert Sharpe

INHERENT FAILURE

Regarding Sen. Bob Graham's April 19 op-ed piece on increased Ecstasy 
penalties: Ecstasy is the latest illegal drug to be making headlines, but 
it won't be the last until politicians acknowledge the drug war's inherent 
failure.

Drug policies modeled after our disastrous experiment with alcohol 
prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market. Illegal drug 
dealers do not ID for age, but they do push trendy, profitable "club drugs" 
such as Ecstasy, regardless of the dangers posed.

There are cost-effective alternatives. In Europe, the Netherlands has 
successfully reduced overall drug use by replacing marijuana prohibition 
with regulation. Dutch rates of drug use are significantly lower than U.S. 
rates.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets and establishing age controls for 
marijuana have proven more effective than zero tolerance. Here in the 
United States, kids have an easier time buying pot than beer. Although pot 
is arguably safer than alcohol -- marijuana has never been shown to cause 
an overdose death -- marijuana prohibition is deadly. Illegal marijuana 
provides the black-market contacts that introduce users to drugs such as 
heroin. This "gateway" is the direct result of a fundamentally flawed policy.

Drug-policy reform may send the wrong message to children, but I like to 
think the children are more important than the message. Opportunistic 
"tough on drugs" politicians would no doubt disagree.

Robert Sharpe
Program Officer
The Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation
Washington, D.C.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart