REJECT JOHN WALTERS

Soon, the U.S. Senate will consider the confirmation of John Walters to be
the next United States drug czar. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe
should vote against confirming him. Public sentiment is moving rapidly
toward the less expensive and more effective approach of objective
information and treatment for abusers, and away from the deathly and
destructive interdiction and imprisonment ("war") approach.

Walters still believes we can arrest, spend, search and seize our way out
of the drug problem. Would anyone seriously suggest that jailing an
alcoholic will help his problem? Jailing those who abuse substances teaches
them how to be great criminals - it doesn't teach them how to break a
destructive habit.

Yet, Walters favors prison instead of treatment for nonviolent substance
abusers and ignores the unfairness inherent in the violent and costly war
approach.

John Walters represents everything that is wrong about the drug war, and I
hope our senators reject him.

Anthony Citrano

Portland