Pubdate: Tue, 24 Sep 2002
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2002 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Author: Jim McDonough

CRITICISM OF FLORIDA OFF THE MARK

Clarence Page uses the tragic case of Gov. Jeb Bush's daughter to push his 
view that Florida's balanced and effective drug policies should be replaced 
with those guided by the decriminalization ideology of the pro-drug 
alliance financed by George Soros and executed by Ethan Nadelmann. He 
believes Florida has not prioritized treatment as a major response to drug 
addiction. But we have, and to a great degree.

And what of the ballot initiative, the so-called Right to Treatment 
amendment, that Page holds up as an alternative? The facts are that the 
entire treatment community in Florida rejected it -- both their statewide 
association and each individual provider. So did law- enforcement officers, 
prosecutors, drug-prevention coalitions, drug- court judges and every other 
professional group concerned about getting help to addicts. Even public 
defenders, who one would think might seize on a free pass for their 
drug-crime defendants, declined to endorse it. All prefer to sustain the 
strong increases in treatment efforts the governor has initiated.

In part, the decriminalization effort failed because Floridians are seeing 
the positive results of our strategy. Our children are bucking the national 
trends, going down in every drug-use category for the third consecutive 
year, even while national surveys show youth use going up.

None of this is an accident. It derives from intelligent, balanced policies 
that combine elements of prevention, treatment and, yes, law enforcement.

Sadly, Page concludes his misperceptions by implying that a double standard 
exists for the governor's daughter. Hardly. She has elected the same route 
thousands of others within the criminal-justice system have taken, and she 
has submitted herself to the same consequences for failure, an outcome I -- 
and many others -- hope and pray will not occur. She struggles on like so 
many others fighting the pull of addiction, the only difference in her case 
being the intruding light of those who would seek to push their ideological 
- -- as opposed to factual -- viewpoints at her expense.

Jim McDonough, Director, Florida Office of Drug Control, Tallahassee
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