WAR AGAINST DRUGS - HELP BUSH WITH NOBLE GOAL

Focus Efforts On Prevention, Treatment

Gov. Jeb Bush has a noble goal. By 2004, he wants to see illegal drug use
in Florida cut in half, and he's willing to put substantial financial
resources into the effort.

The Florida Legislature should honor his request for an 8.4 percent
increase in funding for the fight against drugs. Such an expenditure will
pay dividends in the future.

Some of the additional $35 million would be spent on law enforcement
activities aimed at stopping the importation of illegal drugs into the
state, but the bulk of the money would go into intervention and treatment
programs.

The governor has his priorities straight. Law-enforcement agencies must
continue striving to keep illegal drugs out of Florida, but completely
shutting down the supply is impossible. Additional afforts have to be made
to reduce the demand, through education programs that keep people from
using drugs in the first place, and treatment programs that help people
deal with their addictions so they can lead healthy and productive lives.

The governor's proposal would aim primarily at juvenile drug use, with more
than $24 million going toward intervention and treatment programs run by
the Department of Children & Families and the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Another $4.4 million also would be sent to the Department of Corrections
for more treatment slots for adults in the state prison system.

An additional $1.1 million would be spent on expansion and additional
staffing for 17 drug courts. There are now 17 drug courts in Florida, and
they have proven themselves to be quite effective in dealing with drug
abusers. They operate under the "carrot and stick" approach, and allow drug
abusers to stay out of jail if they live clean and sober lives.

The drug abuse problem in Florida is severe. It's estimated that 8 percent
of Florida residents are drug users, while the national average is 6.2 percent.

There is no simple answer to addressing the drug problem, and there is no
single approach that will wipe out drug abuse. Government must maintain the
three-pronged attach on education, treatment and law-enforcement, with
strong emphasis on reducing demand.