Pubdate: Thu, 03 May 2001
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Richard D. Bonnette

EFFECTIVE DRUG POLICIES

To the Editor:

Re "An Unwinnable War on Drugs," by Ethan A. Nadelmann (Op-Ed, April 26):

Of course drug policies should reduce crime and suffering. If you 
examine the data, you'll see that they have - not perfectly, but 
significantly. As you have reported, criminologists cite the decline 
in the crack cocaine market as a force behind the crime rate's 
plummeting to 30-year lows. Surely, the fact that there are 8.5 
million fewer drug users today than there were in 1985 has 
contributed to this remarkable trend, preventing enormous pain and 
suffering.

Some believe that the answer is "harm reduction." Isn't the better 
way to reduce harm done by drugs to encourage people, especially 
kids, not to use them in the first place? We can prevent drug use. 
Preventing tragedies is better than accepting them.

RICHARD D. BONNETTE

President Partnership for a Drug-Free America New York, April 27, 2001
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