COMMON SENSE DRUG POLICY NEEDED

Dear Editor,

Regarding Jordan Smith's column on mandatory minimums ["Ashcroft Hits the
AstroTurf," News, Aug. 27], if harsh penalties served to deter illicit drug
use, the elusive 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 cost-effective drug treatment.

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.

Sincerely,

Robert Sharpe

Arlington, Va.

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy