TREATMENT, NOT TALK

Despite His Struggles With Addiction, The President's Policies Show
Little Compassion

Visiting Baltimore last week, President Bush shared his personal
struggles against alcohol addiction with former prisoners in recovery
who are enrolled in Jericho, a program to help them re-enter
productively into society. Mr. Bush recounted having given up alcohol
the day after his 40th birthday, after a "particularly boozy night."
He often credits his Christian faith for giving him the strength to stay sober.

Although his presidency is almost over, it's not too late for Mr.
Bush to do much good as a role model and advocate for people
recovering from addiction. To succeed, he will have to keep a few
things in mind:

Drug misuse doesn't discriminate, but our drug policies do.

George W. Bush, Al Gore III, Rush Limbaugh and Rep. Patrick J.
Kennedy all remind us that anyone can be susceptible to drug
problems; addiction does not discriminate. Unfortunately, our drug
policies do. Despite similar rates of drug use, blacks go to jail at
13 times the rate of whites. In New York state, 91 percent of the
people incarcerated under the draconian Rockefeller drug laws are
black or Latino - grossly disproportionate to their share of the
population or involvement in illegal drug use and sales. Too often,
treatment is reserved for the privileged, jail for the poor.

Most families will confront addiction at some point.

Almost every family in America has had to deal with drug addiction or
has experienced "collateral damage" from the drug war. President Bush
is not the only Bush to have had serious problems with addiction. His
niece Noelle Bush was arrested for trying to fill a fake prescription
for Xanax. While in a treatment program, she was busted for crack cocaine.

Fortunately for her, she was able to get help without being forced to
spend years of her life behind bars. Millions of other people without
money or powerful connections - including many thousands in Baltimore
- - are not as lucky. Millions nationwide have a loved one behind bars
on drug charges, and millions more have struggled themselves with
addiction to illegal or legal drugs. By declaring a "war on drugs,"
we have declared a war on ourselves.

There are many effective strategies for dealing with addiction.

Mr. Bush was able to give up his drinking "cold turkey" and used his
faith to help himself. Millions use abstinence programs such as
Alcoholics Anonymous when trying to give up drugs. Some people give
up one addiction, such as heroin, but may still hold on to smoking
marijuana or cigarettes. Many people who quit a drug will relapse one
or more times before finding the strength to quit again. There are
many pathways and strategies for dealing with an addiction. There is
no "one size fits all" approach.

Current administration policies emphasize prison and punishment over
compassion and treatment.

Mr. Bush's words of encouragement to the men he encountered at
Jericho were well-intentioned. But actions are better than words, and
the government could do a few things that would make a huge
difference in the lives of drug offenders.

One would think that Mr. Bush's personal struggles would have him
advocate for treatment over jail and punishment. "Addiction is hard
to overcome," Mr. Bush told the ex-offenders, and that's true. But
maybe it would be a little easier if the government were to put more
resources into treatment. According to the Office of National Drug
Control Policy, only 35 percent of the federal drug control budget is
spent on education, prevention and treatment combined, with the
remaining 65 percent devoted to law enforcement efforts.

Our drug policies have led to the United States' becoming the world
leader in incarceration. We have 5 percent of the world's population
but 25 percent of all the world's prisoners, with more than 2.3
million in prisons and jails, more per capita than Russia, Belarus or
China. Of that 2.3 million, about 500,000 are incarcerated on drug charges.

I appreciate President Bush's opening up and sharing his struggles
with drug addiction. (Yes, alcohol is a drug.) It is helpful to
remind people that addiction is an issue that so many of us have had
to deal with - that spares no one.

I just wish that his personal experiences would give him the wisdom
and courage to advocate generous and caring drug policies for everyone.