Kurt Schmoke, the former mayor of Baltimore, writes in the Guardian (UK) that The Wire's depiction of the plight of the city he once governed should be seen as a wake-up call for the rest of the country in the national battle in the war on drugs.

"Baltimore may be the site of the gripping drama that is The Wire," he writes, "but Baltimore is not the only American city that is gripped by the fallout from the war on drugs." Mayor Schmoke walks readers through each of the series's five seasons and shows how the fictional storylines reflect real social issues that must be examined.

To read what the former mayor (pictured at right) has to say, visit commentisfree.guardian.co.uk.