Drug war can't be won through legalization

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Mexico and said the United States should share the blame for Mexican drug trafficking and the current drug cartel violence, as heavy ammunition and weapons have crossed our borders into unscrupulous hands. Because of the far-reaching effects of the drug-trafficking problem in the United States, some people are wondering whether the legalization debate should be revisited.

In 1996, legalization supporters said this policy would ease burdens on prisons and shift billions of dollars from law enforcement to treatment and anti-drug education. It would also cut back on the number of prisoners incarcerated for illegal drug trafficking and trial time in judiciary courts. A logical extension of this argument would imply that drug cartels would lay down their weapons and the violence would end because their distribution activities would now be considered legal.

Clinton is right that U.S. demand is creating Mexican drug suppliers. In Utah, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Mexican drug-trafficking organizations dominate the industry. Methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana come from suppliers located primarily in Mexico, California, the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. Authorities have seen an increase in the availability of Mexican methamphetamine because it is far easier and cheaper to acquire compared with securing domestic materials and manufacturing locations.

Despite what appears to be a losing battle with Mexican drug suppliers, the war against illegal drugs wages on. The DEA reported 184 drug violation arrests in Utah during 2007, down from 229 in 2003. The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that fewer than 59,000 (3.05 percent) Utah residents reported illegal drug dependence or abuse during the year. Utah-made methamphetamine labs are also declining because of the increased joint task force preventative effort.

Legalization of mind-altering, judgment-inhibiting substances is absolutely not the answer to the Mexican drug-cartel problem. What is needed is tougher law enforcement and a zero-tolerance attitude among citizens and governing officials in both the United States and Mexico.

Studies from the Journal of Drug Use report illicit drug use is directly correlated with delinquent behavior resulting in violent crimes. People do stupid things when they are under the influence of substances designed to alter moods and impair judgment.

Should these substances now become legal, society would be put in a more risky situation because users would engage in violent and illegal activities without preventative intervention. The United States government has made tremendous strides in establishing effective anti-drug law enforcement and educational programs. The Mexican government needs to follow suit and increase the policing and education effort within its own borders.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/drug-war-can-t-be-won-through-legalization-1.1634252