U.S. Priority on Illegal Drugs Debated as Pill Abuse Rises

[alp227]

America's drug problem is shifting from illicit substances like cocaine to abuse of prescription painkillers, a change that is forcing policy makers to re-examine the long and expensive strategy of trying to stop illegal drugs from entering the United States.

This rethinking extends beyond the United States, where policy makers are debating how to better reduce demand for painkillers. . The effects would also be felt here and in Central America: With the drug wars in Mexico flaming violence, some argue that the money now used for interdiction could be better spent building up the institutions -especially courts and prosecutors' offices -which would lead to long term stability in Mexico and elsewhere.

...

Even some officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Justice Department say they now recognize that arresting kingpins and seizing large drug shipments have failed to make Mexico more stable, largely because of corruption and other flaws in the Mexican justice system.

Full: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/07/17/world/americas/us-priority-on-illegal-drugs-debated-as-abuse-rises.xml

[Uncle Joe]

1. The so called War on Drugs; is an insane, dysfunctional, corruptive, draconian, unjust and

counterproductive policy turning what should be an educational, medical, personal privacy issue in to warfare against the people.

This policy has no redeeming value as it empowers and enriches organized crime, corrupts the justice system while weakening government by alienating, criminalizing and disenfranchising the citizens.

Thanks for the thread, alp.