Pubdate: Mon, 03 Mar 2008
Source: Daily Press (Newport News,VA)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Press
Contact:  http://www.dailypress.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/585
Author: Ray Crist

END THE UNWINNABLE WAR ON DRUGS

On Feb. 27, the Daily Press displayed the photographs of some 53 
Newport News fugitives from the law. Of the total shown, nearly half, 
and almost all the women, are wanted for drug-related offenses.

Whoever said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and 
expecting different results" must have said this after watching the 
federal and state governments in their war on drugs.

I'm not sure our collective agencies actually expect different 
results. It may be a way to justify their existence. One of the very 
useful things that the war on drugs provides is a dragon for 
politicians to slay. But they never slay it.

How long have we been fighting this war? And with what results?

Why not use the major force that rules the drug user's life -- his 
need to obtain drugs? This would allow the registration of users and 
an organized way to provide counseling and treatment. It would 
eliminate the user's need to obtain huge amounts of money to satisfy 
his habit and reduce drug-related crime. Ancillary crime, muggings 
and burglaries would be diminished.

Ray Crist

Williamsburg
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