Pubdate: Wed, 02 Feb 2000 Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA) Copyright: 2000 San Francisco Examiner Contact: http://www.examiner.com/ Forum: http://examiner.com/cgi-bin/WebX Author: Ellen Komp Note: Headline by editor HARM REDUCTION - NOT INHUMANE WAR I am glad to see lawmakers taking a "harm reduction" approach to the problem of abandoned babies by offering amnesty for their mothers. Rather than continually increasing penalties for crimes, we need to follow this example and start putting the welfare of victims first in making policy. I hope that instead of continuing our unceasing and inhumane war on drugs we may move toward policies that treat drug abuse and reduce crime instead of those that simply increase penalties, profits and violence. Ellen Komp Program associate The Lindesmith Center San Francisco - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk