Pubdate: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 Source: National Post (Canada) Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc. Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wEtbT4yU Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286 Author: Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n152/a08.html Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n152/a09.html WHAT'S WORSE. THE WAR ON DRUGS OR THE DRUG ITSELF? Re: Learning A Lesson From America's Failed War On Drugs, Jesse Kline, Feb. 24. Those seeking to emulate the tough on-some-drugs policies of Canada's southern neighbour can expect similarly bad results. Despite zero tolerance, more U.S. teenagers now use illegal marijuana than legal tobacco. Tobacco use has declined considerably in both Canada and the United States. Public education has proven more effective than mass incarceration. The decline in highly addictive tobacco use was accomplished without any need to jail smokers or further enrich cartels via tobacco prohibition. The U.S. drug war has done little other than give the former land of the free the highest incarceration rate in the world. Robert Sharpe, policy analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.