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 - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens