OVERLOOKING ADDICTION

To the Editor:

It's good to see President Clinton joining Tipper Gore, the wife of the
Vice President, in fighting for fair treatment for the mentally ill (Week
in Review, June 6). But the Government should consider a similar campaign
with regard to illegal drug use.

Mrs. Gore is right to point out that the belief that mental illness is a
personal failure rather than a physical disease is a dangerous myth, but
the same can be said about drug addiction. However, by demonizing drug
users, the Government's "war on drugs" perpetuates the idea that drug
addiction is a choice rather than a disease.

Criminalizing a social problem will not make it go away.