LETTER
Drug Legalization, Harm Reduction, and Drug Policy
Otto S. Baum, MD
15 April 1996 | Volume 124 Issue 8 | Page 776
TO THE EDITOR:
The article by Dupont and Voth [1] and the editorial by Dr. Musto [2] fail to address the question of crime related to the drug trade, that is, violent acts committed to obtain money for the purchase of drugs. If addicts were given drugs from the huge stores of seized cocaine and heroin and were given sterile syringes and needles, the profit motive would disappear, the crime rate would be reduced, and the rate of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus and other pathogens by injection would be decreased. Legalization could be aided by appropriate education of younger persons to prevent initial use of drugs.
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Author and Article Information
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West Orange, NJ 07052
1. DuPont RL, Voth EA. Drug legalization, harm reduction, and drug policy. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:461-5.
2. Musto DF. Perception and regulation of drug use: the rise and fall of the tide [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:468-9.
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