Pubdate: Tue, 15 Aug 2006
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2006 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Jack Cole
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1055/a03.html

ARRESTS AREN'T THE ANSWER FOR SKID ROW

This article points out that although police make 6,000 arrests each
year in skid row, "no one quite knows how to stop" the cycle of
desperation. This story is played out nationally. And it predictably
yields calls for tougher enforcement, as though 1.7 million arrests
nationally for nonviolent drug offenses aren't enough.

As director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, the largest
organization of law enforcers calling for an end to drug prohibition,
I can attest to the fact that tougher laws have never solved the
problem. The war on drugs is a failed policy. Legalized regulation and
controlled dispensation of hard drugs will result in lowered rates of
death, disease, crime and addiction.

Once the profit motive is removed and drug abuse is treated as a
health problem rather than a crime problem, dealers will be out of
business, drug addicts will get on with their lives, no one will have
a motive to entice others to use drugs and we will see the end to this
cycle of desperation.

JACK COLE

Executive Director

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Medford, Mass. 
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