Pubdate: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 Source: Collegian, The (U of Tulsa, OK Edu) Copyright: 2010 The Collegian Contact: http://www.utulsa.edu/collegian/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4463 Author: Philip Reiser, Opinion Editor LEGALIZE IT, END A WAR The drug violence in Mexico, which has escalated into a full-fledged war, has caused over 10,000 casualties since January 2007, according to the LA Times. Others estimate the number of dead at up to 18,000. What is even more shocking than the death toll is the brutality and ruthlessness of the drug gang members and their morbid methods. There are many horror stories, such as that of the murder of the police chief of Veracruz who was killed by the cartel known as Los Zetas last year. Eight or nine gunmen armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers blasted their way into the police chief's well-protected house, and it took them less than five minutes to kill the chief, his wife, who was also a police officer, and their son. The gunmen then set the house on fire, killing the remaining three children, all girls. This is one among many such tragedies, and the response by the government has been to use military forces and federal police to fight back. Yet this strategy has not been paying off, and every government victory seems to cause an even harsher backlash by the cartels. The wars are fueled by huge drug profits amounting to $23 billion a year, most of which come from sales in the U.S., the world's single largest purchaser of drugs. While the U.S. has already given almost $2 billion to the Mexican government, which has continuously increased efforts to fight the cartels, no end to the wars is in sight. Violence continues to escalate and some have even called Mexico a lawless country, as drug money has permeated every level of society. Officials have to decide whether to take bribes from the cartels or risk being targeted and killed, as has been the fate of many who opposed cartels. The failure of current strategies has opened up discussion for an alternative solution: legalization. By legalizing the use and distribution of drugs, these dangerous cartels would quickly be bankrupt, just like the alcohol mafias during the alcohol prohibition of the 1920s and 30s. Of course, not all drugs should be legalized. But legalizing only marijuana and cocaine could deal a huge blow to cartels and dealers in the U.S., as these drugs comprise about 90 percent of sales. Naturally, the use of these drugs should be strictly regulated, even more so than tobacco and alcohol, and could be subject to similar sin-taxes, which would help alleviate the huge budget deficits of federal and state governments. The fact is that this year the World Health Organization found that the U.S. has the highest drug usage rates on the planet, despite having some of the harshest sentences. Some have even argued that making hard drugs legal could help reduce the toxic effects of their use, as addicts could be treated openly without fear of being arrested and prosecuted. Making addiction a medicinal and not a criminal justice problem has already been tried and has succeeded in the Netherlands, where current drug use numbers are lower than in the U.S. despite more lax laws on their use. It is time to give this option serious consideration and overcome the misinformed taboos of the past, before thousands more are killed as a result of keeping the drug industry underground. There is one sure way to bankrupt the dangerous drug industry, but when will our leaders talk about it? - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D