AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION

Editor: I agree with the guest editorial of Sept. 6 that said too many drug
people are going to prison, etc. However, I do not see any existing
offering of something different or any plan to change this deplorable
situation. I would like to offer my suggestion. To be effective it needs to
be nationwide.

It amounts to government controlled drugs, where drugs are free. Setting up
centers in all areas where an addict can go to sign in, get a card and his
drug of choice, stay there until the effects wear off, then go home or to
work or whatever.

This would do many things for our country, and our people.

1. It would stop the need to steal to support the habit.

2. It would take drugs out of the gutter and put those that use them into
the light.

3. The causal user would quit using.

4. The real addict who spends all day, every day figuring ways to get his
drugs will not have to steal to get them.

5. Free is hard to beat and the addict can go to work and keep his
children, take care of his wife, and never have to buy drugs again and
thereby destroy his home and family.

6. The drugs he no longer has to buy will eventually take the dealer off
the street.

7. No more giving drugs to our children to make another buying customer.

8. Real treatment can be given, and if it doesn't work he can still get his
drug free.

9. Since he cannot leave the facility with any drugs, he cannot add to the
problem.

10 When we are not addicting to the problem by making new addicts, the drug
problem will die out in time.

11. There will be rich people who will continue to buy drugs but they will
eventually either be caught or forced to accept the free drugs to destroy
themselves by the 10 to 20 times the present street cost to stay supplied
or go to jail.

12. The drug enforcement people zero in on those big dealers that supply
those that continue to buy.

There would be no more street corner pushers, no children being addicted.
This whole drug culture will be a thing of the past.

As it is now, if we continue as usual we will soon have everyone in prison
and cure nothing, stop nothing. No drug dealers are short of drugs. No
interdiction has worked. In short, we have only added to addiction and even
those in jail will one day be released. What do you think they will be
doing to your children and mine?

We as a nation (and to stay a nation) must make a turn and do something
different. Costs will be far less than keeping people in prison two or
three years or 20 or 30.

Floyd A. Christopher, St. Augustine