U.S. needs to change its drug war policy
Midland Daily News, MI
3/16/2008
This editorial was written while the author was in Columbia.
One of these days some American president will figure out that the drug problem is nothing more than Economics 101 — this is not tough intellectual stuff. We will make no progress so long as our approach is to attack the “supply”side as we currently do, sponsoring massive chemical defoliating programs designed to destroy the coca crop will not stop the inflow of product and will only worsen the economic conditions for the peasants of this region. And if it were successful, our program of crop destruction would only serve to drive the price of cocaine and crack in the United States up. That of course would only mean more street crime and murder on the streets of America — the demand for drugs of this nature is “inelastic” and therefore not subject to price sensitivity.
Long term reduction will occur only when we domestically attack the demand side of the equation. In other words, the problem is more of a U.S. domestic matter and not one of foreign policy.