Former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria on Tuesday strongly criticized the United States’ approach to fighting drugs.

Cesar Gaviria highlighted the problems Mexico is facing handling its drug problem.

“Just putting all consumers in jail, as the U.S. does, is not a solution,” he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “You have to reduce consumption.”

In a wide ranging interview, Gaviria said the United States now has more people in jail for narco-trafficking or related crimes than there are prisoners in the whole of Europe.

“What you need to do with addicts and people who consume drugs is deal with them as a health problem, an education problem,” he said. read more