A NEW TOOL FOR DRUG WAR

When he appointed a new drug czar last week, President Bush sounded a note
too often absent in the nation's anti-drug policies: more treatment for
addicts. The president promised to "close the treatment gap in this
country" as part of an overall approach to combating drug use.

While the United States has put heavy emphasis on lowering the supply of
drugs, it has mostly ignored the demand half of the equation. Get-tough
policies, heavier anti-smuggling efforts and even aiding attempts to shut
down drug production outside the country receive high-profile emphasis -
and provided only mixed results. But such measures, as valuable as they
might be, can only go so far.

Treating addicts, and thus removing the market for illegal drugs, can be an
effective and humane way to cut drug use. Unfortunately, reducing the
number of drug users in this country usually hasn't gone much beyond "just
say no."

That's a mistake. Reducing the demand for illegal drugs should also be a
major part of the nation's strategy, and it's welcome to see the president
recognizing that fact.