DRUG WAR FAILING

Re: Rick Diamond's thoughtful June 9 commentary, "Spend money on human
services, not new jails." Florida is not the only state grappling with
overcrowded jails. Throughout the nation, states facing budget
shortfalls are pursuing alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent
drug offenders.

A study conducted by the Rand Corp. found that every additional dollar
invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.48 in
societal costs. Far more is at stake than tax dollars.

The drug war is not the promoter of family values that some would have
us believe. Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure,
joblessness, addiction and delinquency. Not only do the children lose
out, but society as a whole does too. Incarcerating nonviolent drug
offenders alongside hardened criminals is the equivalent of providing
them with a taxpayer-funded education in anti-social behavior.

Turning drug users into unemployable ex-cons is a senseless 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. Destroying the futures and families of citizens
who make unhealthy choices doesn't benefit anyone. Drug abuse is bad,
but the drug war is worse.

ROBERT SHARPE, MPA, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C.