Pubdate: Mon, 14 Jan 2002
Source: Palm Beach Post (FL)
Copyright: 2002 The Palm Beach Post
Contact:  http://www.gopbi.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/333
Author: Ella Telliard
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)

ABANDONING DRUG PROHIBITION THE LOGICAL COURSE FOR AMERICA

Last Monday's Opinion article "Alter drug policy to cut off terrorists" was 
an illustration of pure logic seen all too seldom in the debate over ways 
to solve America's drug dilemma. Many experts (not politicians and 
religious groups) agree that what we are now spending is wasted money, 
which could be put to use on more education and treatment programs, keeping 
users off the streets and, most important, keeping them from committing 
crimes to support their habits.

The writer, Robert Sharpe, mentions that England tried from 1920 to the 
1960s the practice of a controlled-substance distribution system, but, due 
to pressure from the United States, the subsequent creation of an 
unregulated illicit market resulted in the numbers of heroin addicts to 
skyrocket from fewer than 2,000 in 1970 to roughly 50,000 today. He also 
mentions that Swiss policy-makers argue that taking marijuana out of 
organized crime will reduce exposure to heroin and other hard drugs.

Not the least of our dilemma is that terrorist groups are largely supported 
by the poppy fields in Afghanistan. Instead of bombing the caves, how about 
hitting the source of their drug trafficking? The author, Robert Sharpe, is 
a program officer with the Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation, a 
nonprofit organization. This surely says that his views are worth listening 
to . . . and, better still, seriously considering.

ELLA TELLIARD, Jupiter
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