OHIOANS OPPOSE DRUG ISSUE ON BALLOT

A ballot issue that would require the state to offer treatment instead
of incarceration to some nonviolent drug offenders is opposed by a
solid majority of Ohioans, according to a new Plain Dealer poll.

In a random survey of 805 likely voters, 55 percent said they intend
to vote against Issue 1, 30 percent plan to support it, and the
remainder are undecided.

"I think Issue 1's fate might be sealed," said Brad Coker, manag-ing
director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Re search, the firm that con ducted
the tel ephone survey. "A majority of people are against it, and
undecided voters tend to vote 'no' on these types of issues."

Previous polls have shown Issue 1 with strong support, but The Plain
Dealer survey is the first to use the actual language that will appear
on the Nov. 5 ballot.

And the ballot language is among the main reasons for the turnabout,
said Curt Steiner, a spokesman for the group opposing Issue 1.

"What this shows is that once people are informed about the important
elements of Issue 1, they vote against it," Steiner said.

Supporters and opponents have praised the ballot language as unbiased
and complete. Most voters, however, are not expected to read the
lengthy explanation they will find on their ballots. Most are expected
to read a one-paragraph preamble, which includes elements that appear
to favor the "no" side.

For example, it identifies the issue as one designed to offer
treatment to drug offenders - including some repeat offenders; notes
that the program carries a seven-year, $247 million price tag; and
mentions that it would seal criminal records for those who
successfully complete their treatment.

The price tag is the main reason Robert Crawford opposes the
issue.

"There's programs already going on for these addicts. There's
methadone programs and AA," said Crawford, an 84-year-old Democrat
from Cincinnati. "We shouldn't throw any more money at these people."

Ohio's economy is in a slump, and Crawford wants the state's limited
resources spent on what he considers more worthwhile endeavors.

The strong opposition surprised Ed Orlett, a spokesman for the
pro-Issue 1 campaign.

"We clearly have some work to do," he said. "I suspect that what's
getting lost - and what we need to do a better job communicating - is
the savings that this would generate."

Orlett and other supporters contend that Issue 1 would save money in
the long run because treatment costs about $3,500 per individual,
while incarceration costs about $22,000 per year.

Ohio's proposal is modeled largely after California's Proposition 36,
which is estimated to save the state about $40 million annually,
according to a July 1 study by the Health Policy Tracking Service for
the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Steiner, however, noted that California locked up its first- and
second-time offenders at a much higher rate than Ohio, suggesting that
projected cost savings in Ohio are inflated.

In Shaker Heights, Lisa Immerman, 39, acknowledged the possible cost
savings but said she supports Issue 1 out of "fairness."

"It seems nonsensical to jail people for first-time offenses," she
said. "These are the people who can benefit from treatment."

Immerman and several others interviewed, however, volunteered that
they aren't very knowledgeable about the issue and said they would
like to learn more about it.

Orlett hopes to fill them in.

His group had not planned to launch its TV campaign in the near
future, but the new poll results could persuade the group to go on the
air much sooner, he said.

The survey showed Issue 1 opposed in all regions of the state, with
the strongest opposition in southern Ohio and the Mahoning Valley and
among voters between ages 50 and 64.

Although a majority of blacks and whites intend to vote no, about 43
percent of blacks support the issue, compared with just 28 percent of
whites surveyed. Proponents plan to specifically target black voters,
hoping to persuade them with data showing the incarceration rate for
blacks accused of drug offenses is 28 times the rate for whites.

The survey was conducted Sept. 9, 10 and 12. It has a margin of error
of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.