DRUG TREATMENT BEST CURE

How should Arizona respond to illicit methamphetamine use? During the
crack epidemic of the 1980s, New York City chose the zero tolerance
approach, opting to arrest and incarcerate as many offenders as
possible. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry was smoking
crack and America's capital had the highest per capita murder rate in
the country. Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously.

Simply put, the younger generation saw first-hand what crack was
doing to their older brothers and sisters and decided for themselves
that crack was bad news. This is not to say nothing can be done about
meth. Access to drug treatment is critical for the current generation
of meth users. Diverting resources away from prisons and into
cost-effective treatment would save both tax dollars and lives.

ROBERT SHARPE

POLICY ANALYST

COMMON SENSE FOR DRUG POLICY

WASHINGTON, D.C.