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The big debate: The war on drugs
'Prohibition and incarceration has been a complete and utter failure as a policy. Our money is better spent elsewhere.'
P5-8-'08 | The Tucsone Citizen | by Paul Schwalbach

The story: Tucson tops the list for overall percentage increases in drug arrests and increases in arrests of blacks from 1980-2003, a study shows.

Your take: The debate quickly expands into a referendum on the war on drugs, with most members of the Citizen's online community declaring it's time for a new campaign.

Prosecuting a war on drugs is like "fighting a war on jealousy," Mark H. says. No matter how long the battle, "You'd still be deadlocked with the 'enemy.' "

But this is a war without an enemy, several readers say. "Addiction is a disease," whisper 1 says, adding that putting addicts in jail makes as much sense as incarcerating people with cancer. It's a medical, not a legal issue, says Juan M., and unless you "stop the appetite, you will stop nothing."

Jared H., who made the comment atop this column, wants to pardon or commute the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders, and to "end the privatization of our prisons, which creates and economic incentive to incarcerate."

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SWP

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