DON'T JAIL DRUG ABUSERS; TREATMENT IS THE ANSWER

I don't think anyone is going to argue that Rush Limbaugh would
benefit from a lengthy prison sentence for violating drug laws, if he
ever is charged and found guilty ("Limbaugh attorney wants some
records private," June 16).

If drug treatment worked for Mr. Limbaugh, why not apply the same
standard to the less famous? Incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders
alongside hardened criminals is providing them with a
taxpayer-financed education in antisocial behavior. Turning drug users
into unemployable ex-cons is a waste of tax dollars. 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. Drug
abuse is bad, but the drug war is worse.

Robert Sharpe, policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.