INCARCERATION HASN'T BEEN ANSWER TO DRUGS

I'm writing about your thoughtful editorial: "Coordinating the fight
against meth" (July 18, 2005).

Keeping the ingredients of meth behind the counter is certainly a lot
better solution than the previous nonsolution of building more and
bigger prisons.

Oklahoma learned the hard way that the so-called "tough on drugs"
policies don't work and they are very expensive. Largely because of
their "tough on drugs" policies, Oklahoma became the fourth highest
state for incarcerations.

Largely because of our war on drugs policies, the United States has
been transformed into the most incarcerated nation in the history of
human civilization. Even though we in the U.S. have fewer than 5
percent of the world's population, we have more than 25 percent of the
world's prisoners.

In other words, one out of every four prisoners in the world is locked
in an American jail or prison.

What message does this send to the rest of the world?

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.