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.)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom