Pubdate: Mon, 10 Jul 2000
Source: Newcastle Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 Newcastle Newspapers Pty Limited
Address: P.O. Box 510G, Newcastle NSW 2300
Fax: +61 2 4979 5888
Website: http://www.nnp.com.au/html/herald_index.html
Author: Des McMeekin

THE DRUGS-AND-JAIL SOCIETY

In Australian prisons 80% of the population are there because of their
addiction to drugs or the selling of drugs.

Do you think the recent decision by the NSW Labor Government to spend
$300million building a new prison to house the growing convictions for drug
dealing and its use is the way to go?

Do you think that the $300million could be better spent on keeping the drug
culture out of prison and that there should be an education program
instigated to teach your children the futility of being caught up in the
peer pressures to experiment with drugs?

Do you think that if your children get caught up in the drug scene they
should be treated as a criminal or should it be a health problem? If you
were a drug addict how would you expect society to treat you?

In Sweden there are no people in jail for taking drugs. It is treated as a
health problem.  They have the lowest percentage of drug addicts in the
world.

Des McMeekin, Whitebridge
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