DRUG WAR NEEDS MONEY FOR TREATMENT

Twelve years ago, our state got tough in the war on drugs. The 1989 Omnibus
Drug Act doubled the jail sentences for drug users and pushers and provided
treatment to help people break their addiction. Then, one year later, the
Legislature cut money to pay for treatment.

Today, jails are full, but drug and alcohol addiction remains a serious
problem.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng, no slouch when it comes to
being tough on crime, wants the state to make good on the second part of
the battle plan. He would shorten prison sentences for drug users and
dealers and use the savings to treat their addictions. It's a good plan
that deserves public and legislative support.

No one denies the problem with drugs. In 1989, crack cocaine use was
approaching epidemic proportions. Random and senseless violence became
common, along with drive-by shootings and open gang activity. Neighborhoods
were at risk to be lost to crime and criminals.

The Legislature responded. Prison sentences were doubled for dealing heroin
and cocaine. However, our lawmakers botched the treatment part of the
program. A special tax on bottled beverages to pay for treatment was
repealed one year later. As a result, we still have jails, and we still
have addicts.

Drug treatment works, maybe not for everybody all the time, but it does get
some people to kick the habit. Every success means a person is returned to
a productive, taxpaying life. That benefits both the individual and
society. Recent studies show:

* For every dollar spent on treatment, $7.46 is saved on local crime
enforcement activities.

* Drug treatment can cut drug use 50 to 70 percent.

* Treatment can reduce serious crime 10 times more effectively than
conventional enforcement.

Drug courts already operate in King and several other counties in the
state. They offer defendants the option of choosing treatment or a trial.
However, federal funds to support them are expiring. By modestly reducing
sentences now being handed out to drug users, money spent on jail beds can
be channeled into treatment programs. The switch can be done with no new
money from the state.

Maleng's plan would continue the crackdown on methamphetamine
manufacturing, a scourge that remains out of control. He also would keep
the prospect of jail time as a way to make sure people continue in a
treatment program.

It's time for the Legislature to fulfill its 12-year-old promise of
treatment to those battling drugs. Maleng's proposal will do that.