FOCUS ON TREATMENT

Because of The Bee's special report on "A Madness Called Meth," Fresno
recently held a successful "summit meeting" focused on coordinating law
enforcement efforts. However, as Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other meeting
participants stated, it is now important to move on to a follow-up summit
concentrating on drug treatment and prevention programs.

In your initial special report section, "The Long Slow Road to Recovery,"
it was estimated that for every $1 put into treatment the public gets back
$7, mostly from decreased criminal activity. This estimate is also
supported by a wide circulated RAND corporation research report that
spending on treatment is highly cost effective by reducing serious crime 15
times more than expanding mandatory prison terms. I am glad to read that
The Bee editorial staff is now supporting future summit meetings on the
implementation of effective drug education, prevention and treatment programs.

However, the success of such a future summit depends on the involvement of
responsible representatives from our public schools, health departments,
governing officials and concerned community organizations in cooperation
with law enforcement personnel. A good place to start would be to review
the most effective treatment programs and strategies reported by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse and other credible institutions. If The
Bee published another special report on cost-effective drug prevention and
treatment programs which are being (or might be) used in Fresno County, it
would be a great service to the community.

Robert E. Valett, Fresno