Decriminalizing drugs and re-classifying the problem of drug addiction as a health issue would put an end to the spiraling crime in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Marijuana and cocaine if treated like Alcohol and Tobacco would cease to be wealth generators for the criminal minded and those who profit from the misfortune of others.

Like sex education, drug education should become part of the school's syllabus and laws governing the sale +/ distribution of all drugs to minors should be strictly enforced. There should also be a moratorium on all persuasive drug advertising.

The only credible response to a health issue such as drug addiction is education and treatment. Remove the demand and you take care of the supply. In the US, as the public became more educated about the dangers of smoking, there has been a significant decline in new smokers and those already addicted are seeking help to quit.

The bankers who launder illegal drug money would hate to have this model applied to "illegal" drugs as they have a lot to lose, so they lobby to keep the government's failing drug policies in place. The drug producers themselves have told us how to get rid of the problem, remove the demand.
They make these reccommendations, secure in the knowledge that it will not happen any time soon, as too many "white collar" criminals are becoming rich off the trade.