COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IS BEST WAY TO HANDLE METH ADDICTION

Editor:

How should Mesa County respond to the growing use of methamphetamine?

During the crack epidemic of the '80s, New York City chose the zero
tolerance approach, opting to arrest and prosecute 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.

A U.S. Department of Justice research brief that confirms my claims
regarding the spontaneous decline of crack cocaine can be found at:
www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/187490.txt.

Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C