Final answer:
Legalizing drugs, such as marijuana, can potentially reduce the social costs associated with prohibition. Alternatives to prohibition include taxation and regulation or harm reduction strategies like treatment and clean needles.
Step-by-step explanation:
One approach to reducing crime is to legalize drugs, such as marijuana, which could potentially reduce the social costs associated with prohibition. Prohibiting drugs not only requires enforcement efforts and leads to violence and increased property crime but also has negative health and social effects. Alternatives to prohibition include treating drugs like alcohol or cigarettes with taxation and regulation, or using harm reduction strategies like subsidizing treatment and providing clean needles or substitute drugs.