A REAL DRUG STRATEGY

Letter One:

The movie "Traffic" not only "captures the hopelessness and tragedy of drug
addiction," as William J. Bennett observed [op-ed, Feb. 18], it captures
the hopelessness and tragedy of the war on drugs.

The number of addicts needing treatment today is roughly the same as when
Mr. Bennett left the drug czar's office in 1990 -- 8.9 million persons. The
number of dead from illegal drugs grew from 9,463 in 1990 to 16,926 in
1998. Emergency room admissions for illegal drugs grew from 371,208 in 1990
to 554,932 in 1999.

Illegal drug availability has increased, prices are down and purity is up.
Yet federal government antidrug spending has nearly doubled, from $ 9.75
billion in FY '90 to $ 19.2 billion in FY '01. The number of drug arrests
is up from 1,089,500 in 1990 to 1,532,200 in 1999, and the number of drug
prisoners is double.

The real lesson is to abandon the approach of zero tolerance advanced by
Mr. Bennett and adopt a reality-based drug strategy. A conservative
strategy of regulation of drug use, production and distribution offers the
only opportunity to achieve controls over the market and the users and
bring down the social costs.

A drug strategy should not be based on a movie script, as ours still is:
"Reefer Madness."

ERIC E. STERLING
President
Criminal Justice Policy Foundation
Washington

Letter Two:

William Bennett's column on the film "Traffic" advocated increased
treatment, but our government consistently has failed to appropriate
sufficient funds so that all those desiring or needing treatment can obtain
it. The same can be said about most health insurance plans.

The criminal justice system may be effective in compelling treatment;
however, it does not follow that compulsion either is justified or is the
most effective remedy for what should be treated as a significant public
health issue.

It is symbolic that the page opposite Mr. Bennett's piece contained an
editorial arguing against Maryland's auctioning contraband cigarettes. This
practice typifies the inconsistency of the government's approach --
Maryland profits from selling tobacco, a drug that costs at least as many
lives as those lost from using those deemed "illicit."

Finally, Mr. Bennett spoke of addicts being "cured." As with other chronic
and potentially relapsing diseases, addiction is never cured, it is only
put into remission.

PETER J. COHEN
Chair, Physician Health Program
Medical Society of the District of Columbia
Washington