END THE DRUG WAR

Regarding "Isn't It A Bit Late To Worry About Noelle's Privacy?''
(Nation/World, Oct. 11): I don't think anyone is going to argue that Noelle
Bush would benefit from a lengthy mandatory minimum prison sentence for
possession of crack cocaine. While I can sympathize with the Bush family's
ongoing troubles with substance abuse, Gov. Jeb Bush's opposition to the
state's short-lived "treatment instead of incarceration'' ballot initiative
effort is hypocritical to say the least. If treatment works for the Bushes,
why not apply the same standard to Americans from less influential
families? 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.

ROBERT SHARPE

Washington, D.C.

The writer is a program officer with Drug Policy Alliance.