Unhappy Birthday

Unhappy Birthday

 

The Harrison Narcotic Tax Act has its centennial next year.  That’s right: Drug Prohibition in America will have its unhappy 100^th birthday next year.  We have piled up an entire century of expensive, destructive failure.

Something needs to be done to commemorate this sad milestone in our history.

How do we count the costs? Trillions of dollars have been spent.  Millions of people have be imprisoned.  Hundreds of thousands of lives have been destroyed – shot in the streets (police, sellers, users, and by-standers), ODed on street drugs, wasted by AIDS and hepatitis C, billions of dollars funneled into the pockets of violent criminals, tens of thousands of otherwise honest law enforcement personnel corrupted.

And Prohibition has failed in its mission.  Drug use – and misuse—is more widespread than it was before the failed crusade began.

This sad history needs to be placed before the public.  Next year is the time to drive home the message about the harm Drug Prohibition has done to our society.

We have about a year to plan and organize.  Let all of our communities speak out locally and nationally about this horror.

You all have ideas.  Post a comment about what can be done – what and when and where.  And start getting your local groups organized so that, together, we can speak with a loud and compelling voice.