DRUG WAR'S HEAVY PRICE

The closing of St. Francis' addiction program won't necessarily save
taxpayers money. A study conducted by the RAND Corp. found that every
additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers
$7.46 in societal costs. There is far more 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 along side 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.

Robert Sharpe

Washington, D.C.

The writer is program officer for the Drug Policy Alliance.