Joe Blumenthal: The ‘war on drugs’ that cannot be won By JOE BLUMENTHAL Friday, June 19, 2015 (Published in print: Saturday, June 20, 2015) Email Print
0 Comments Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on gmailMore Sharing Services 0 NORTHAMPTON — The Gazette’s editorial page Tuesday was devoted to the subject of society’s response to drug use and abuse. The editorial praised an exhibition at Forbes Library by a group of Northampton High School students and an anticipated emphasis by our new governor on treatment for drug use.
And a guest column by former drug “czar” William Bennett and talk show host Seth Leibsohn lamented the growing acceptance of marijuana use and disregard of its potential dangers.
What needs to be said before anything else, and what is seldom admitted by politicians and law enforcement people, is that the “War on Drugs” has been a total and costly failure. Drugs are now more readily available, more potent and cheaper than they were when President Richard Nixon made the declaration of war more than 40 years ago.
It’s time to recognize that the “war” has not reduced the problem at all, but that its side-effects have introduced a host of other very costly problems.
First among these is the needless incarceration of millions of people who would otherwise be productive citizens, especially if treatment were more readily available.
Rest of the story is here.
