DRUGS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE

Florida is one of many states grappling with overcrowded prisons.
States facing budget shortfalls are pursuing alternatives to
incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders. A study by the RAND Corp.
found that every additional dollar invested in substance abuse
treatment saves taxpayers $7.48 in societal costs.

Incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders along side hardened criminals
is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education
in antisocial behavior.

It's time to declare peace in the failed drug war and begin treating
all substance abuse, legal or otherwise, as the public health
problem it is.

Robert Sharpe, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy,
Arlington, Va.