TREAT, DON'T PUNISH

I don't think anyone is going to argue that Rush Limbaugh would benefit
from a lengthy mandatory minimum prison sentence for violating federal drug
laws. If drug treatment works for Rush, why not apply the same standard to
less famous Americans?

Incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals is the
equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education in antisocial
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 of citizens who make unhealthy
choices doesn't benefit anyone. Drug abuse is bad, but the drug war is worse.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington