To the editor,
Like some other “inconvienient truths” out there, the “war on drugs” has been a dismal failure. As Bruce Wark’s editorial stated, increased spending and tougher sentences have not reduced drug use. In fact, it is increasing.
The results of this “war” include increasingly vicious criminal gang activity, broken families and communities and wasting of justice resources. Drug abuse, like alcoholism and prescription drug abuse, is better dealt with as a health care issue. New approaches, including addiction services, decriminalization and/or legalization are called for if we are sincere about dealing with the problems of drug addiction. Prohibition simply does not work.
Hopefully politicians in the next federal election will overwhelmingly reject Bush and Harper’s disastrous approach.
By Michael Oddy
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2007.