THE DRUG WAR IN BLACK & WHITE

Before leaving his position as the nation's drug czar, General Barry
McCaffrey advised the incoming administration to stop referring to the
federal strategy as a war. Instead, he said, it's like fighting cancer:
"prevention coupled with treatment, accompanied by research." It may sound
like a change of heart, but in the same statement, the general reiterated
his belief that "law enforcement is essential for reducing drug abuse."
Here's how a few of the more sensible newspapers responded to McCaffrey's
comments:

Chicago Tribune: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1854/a08.html (related)

"In the U.S. people addicted to tobacco or alcohol are seen to be in need
of therapy, not punishment. For many drug users, a similar approach offers
the hope of better outcomes at lower cost. The drug law reformers may not
have all the answers, but they are on the right track."

The New Mexican:

"America's war on drugs may or may not be a failure but when it comes to
marijuana, the governmental warriors are wasting their ammunition. By
drafting broad-brush laws to protect society from the ravages of truly
dangerous narcotics, our state and most others might have overreached that
intent, to the point that our state's prisons, at great cost, are holding
vast numbers of men and women convicted of victimless crimes."

Roanoke Times: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n042/a02.html (referenced)

"Good politics can make bad public policy, and nowhere is this more evident
than in the nation's war on drugs. Barry McCaffrey has recommended the
nation close the treatment gap and it's about time. He cites education and
community-based programs as successes. Surely, the Roanoke Valley's drug
courts, which force offenders to get treatment or go to jail, rank among
these. Make such successes the thrust, rather than the afterthought, of the
nation's antidrug strategy."

Albuquerque Tribune: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n035/a02.html (related)

"The operative word is decriminalize, not legalize. Drugs would remain
illegal, but the penalties for breaking the law would strive to
rehabilitate offenders rather than add more inmates to a prison system
desperately in need of its own reform."

The Dallas Morning News: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n027/a03.html
(referenced)

"General McCaffrey is quite right about the need to change our approach. Of
the 10s of billions of dollars that the U.S. has committed to the drug
war including $19.2 billion this year alone the lion's share has gone to
law enforcement and punishment with too little going toward treatment and
prevention. That must change."

The Charleston Gazette:

"The national war on drugs has cost taxpayers billions, has ruined many
young people and their families and hasn't reduced U.S. drug use a whit.

"Politicians still love to look stern and tell everyone they're 'tough' on
drugs. This stance is a sure vote-getter. But is it beneficial to America?
Maybe it's time to try a more intelligent approach. Last year, a report
concluded that marijuana is West Virginia's most valuable agricultural
crop, exceeding all others combined. Wouldn't it make sense to reap the
economic gain of this crop instead of throwing the growers in prison at
taxpayer expense?"