Over the last few weeks, I’ve been horrified by the violence by drug cartels in Mexico. The violence has been unsparingly brutal toward innocent children, the elderly, and humble working folk. Even US citizens have been caught in the crossfire. Such a complete breakdown in civility so close to home is hard to countenance.

By most accounts, about ninety percent of all the cocaine consumed in the US is believed to reach the country via Mexico. Because US customers pay well for the drug, the cartels can arm themselves with high-quality US-made weapons.

Coke has reemerged as a drug of choice for leisure-class partiers, many of whom may not realize they’re part of this axis of violence. But like the “conflict diamonds” of Sierra Leone, it comes to us at too great a price.

So I’m asking everyone please spread the word that, so long as the violence continues, it’s cooler to boycott “blood cocaine” than to consume it.