Pubdate: Sat, 28 Jul 2012
Source: Pacific Daily News (US GU)
Copyright: 2012 Pacific Daily News
Contact: http://www.guampdn.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.guampdn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1122
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n361/a04.html

UNITED STATES' HARD LINE ON DRUGS IS HARM MAXIMIZATION

In his July 25 op-ed, Sir Richard Branson cites Russia as an example 
of repressive law enforcement leading to the spread of HIV. He need 
look no further than the United States. Centers for Disease Control 
researchers' estimate that 57 percent of AIDS cases among women and 
36 percent of overall AIDS cases in the U.S. are linked to injection 
drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs.

This preventable public health crisis is a direct result of 
zero-tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes. While the 
rest of the world increasingly favors harm reduction strategies to 
reduce the harm caused by both drug abuse and enforcement, the U.S. 
maintains a hard line.

The Obama administration claims they favor a public health approach. 
Talk is cheap. The land of the free has the highest incarceration 
rate in the world. We cage people who grow cannabis flowers, brand 
consumers of non-corporate drugs as criminals for life, and subsidize 
violent Mexican drug cartels through drug prohibition. This is harm 
maximization, not harm reduction.

Robert Sharpe, MPA, is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom