Pubdate: Tue, 02 Sep 2008 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2008 Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135 Author: Robert Sharpe Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk. DRUG PROHIBITION FUELS CRIME Does moving drug activity from one Hobbema neighbourhood to the next constitute drug-war victory? Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of trafficking. For addictive drugs like crack, a spike in prices leads desperate addicts to increase crime to feed desperate habits. Drug prohibition doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. The good news is that Canada has already adopted many of the common-sense harm-reduction interventions first pioneered in Europe. The bad news is that Canada's southern neighbour uses its superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the globe. Stephen Harper's government is unfortunately all too willing to follow the U.S. lead and exacerbate prohibition-related crime in an effort to literally scare up votes. Robert Sharpe (It's a futile drug war.) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom