Pubdate: Mon, 01 Aug 2005
Source: Battle Creek Enquirer (MI)
Copyright: 2005 Battle Creek Enquirer
Contact: http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1359
Author: Greg Francisco

ANTI-DRUG EFFORT NEEDS PREVENTION, TREATMENT

Thank you for printing the outstanding letter from Stephen Heath
("Reduce demand for Illegal meth," July 20). At last, a voice of
reason emerges from the "meth madness" hysteria. Methamphetamine abuse
is bad. That's a given. So does that mean bankrupting the rest of us
with wholesale incarceration is good?

Eighty years ago our nation fought another drug war. It was called
alcohol prohibition. And what do people most commonly associate with
that era? Gangs, turf wars, clandestine stills producing a product of
questionable quality along with toxic by-products, blind pigs and
speakeasies operating in residential neighborhoods. Hmmm, sound
familiar? When the 21st Amendment was enacted to repeal Prohibition,
FDR commented, "It's not that we've decided alcohol isn't so dangerous
after all. We've just learned that Prohibition makes the problem worse."

So have we learned the lessons of history yet? Apparently not. It's
time to declare peace with honor in the War on Drugs, Inc. Education,
prevention and treatment. Registration of addicts, controlled access
as part of a rehabilitation program that weans users off drugs,
medical supervision. There is a better (and cheaper) way.

GREG FRANCISCO

Paw Paw 
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MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)