TREAT DRUG USERS; DON'T WAR AGAINST THEM

Michael Braun, special agent in charge at the U.S. Dept. of Justice,
completely misses the point of the nationwide trend toward treatment instead
of incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders ("Just say no to drug law
proposal," Aug. 30). 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 some would have us believe. Children of inmates
are at risk of educational failure, joblessness, addiction and delinquency.

Incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals is the
equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education in anti-social
behavior. It's time to begin treating all substance abuse, legal or
otherwise, as the public health problem it is.

Robert Sharpe Program Officer, Drug Policy Alliance

Washington, D.C.