Legal Commentary

Study: Drug War Encourages Illicit Drug Use

By TChris

A sensible policy of drug regulation would treat drug use and abuse as a medical issue rather than burdening the criminal justice system with endless arrests, prosecutions, and incarcerations for conduct that primarily hurts those who voluntary engage in it. Sensible drug policy reform is fiercely resisted by unions representing prison guards and police officers whose jobs depend on continuing the ineffective status quo.

To justify the war's continuation in the face of mounting casualties and no possibility of victory, proponents of the drug war routinely claim that legalization or decriminalization of illicit drugs would encourage kids to experiment with them. The argument is based on faith, not research. A new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research concludes that "tough policing of the illegal drugs market may have the perverse effect of making drugs more affordable and thereby encouraging people to use them."

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Will reality deter the drug warriors from basing their arguments on conjecture rather than facts? Don't count on it. As the nation's police departments clamor "for an unprecedented amount of federal aid," they're not likely to admit that we would have all the cops we need (and then some) by ending the war on drugs.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on July 03, 2009 (boomark / email).