Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 Source: Washington Post (DC) Copyright: 2003 The Washington Post Company Contact: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491 BAD STRATEGY IN THE WARS ON AIDS AND DRUGS Morton Abramowitz brings needed attention to Thailand's campaign of mass killing in the name of a "war on drugs" ["Time to Lean on Thailand," op-ed, June 9], which has dire implications for the rule of law. Serious health consequences also will result: HIV/AIDS, which causes 50,000 deaths per year in Thailand, affects nearly 50 percent of Thai drug injectors. Experience has shown that repressive drug policies only make such problems worse, as drug users are driven underground and away from HIV prevention, health care and drug treatment services. Thailand's policy is especially egregious in light of that country's selection as the host of the 2004 International AIDS Conference, an event dedicated to addressing HIV/AIDS with compassion and respect for dignity -- virtues sorely lacking in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's drug war. MATTHEW CURTIS New York The writer works on AIDS and drug abuse prevention internationally. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens