STATE SHOULD FUND TREATMENT FOR DRUG ABUSERS

Andrew M. Cuomo is to be commended for exposing the political
motivations behind Rockefeller Drug Laws (Jan. 19 op-ed). Despite
alleged reforms, New York's drug laws are still among the harshest in
the nation.

If draconian penalties deterred illegal drug use, the goal of a
"drug-free'' America would have been achieved decades ago. Instead of
adding to what is already the highest incarceration rate in the world,
we should be funding drug treatment.

The drug war is a cure that is worse than the disease. Drug
prohibition finances organized crime at home and terrorism abroad,
which is then used to justify increased drug war spending. It's time
to end this madness and instead treat all substance abuse, legal or
otherwise, as the public health problem it is.

It's worth noting that tobacco use has declined considerably in recent
years. Public education efforts are paying off.

Apparently mandatory minimum sentences, civil asset forfeiture, random
drug testing and racial profiling are not necessarily the most
cost-effective means of discouraging unhealthy choices.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.