Ethan A. Nadelmann

Ethan A. Nadelmann argues in the following viewpoint that U.S. drug policy has failed because of its unrealistic goal of completely eradicating drug use. A more effective policy, he says, would acknowledge that some drug abuse is inevitable and concentrate on minimizing the damage associated with drug abuse. The author maintains that America can benefit by following the examples of several European countries that have successfully implemented harm reduction policies, including needle exchange programs to reduce the spread of AIDS and methadone treatment for heroin addicts. Nadelmann is director of the Lindesmith Center, a drug-policy research institute in New York City.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How many cases of HIV infection could have been avoided if the United States had adopted...