Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2001
Source: Playboy Magazine (US)
Copyright: 2001 Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.playboy.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/343
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n080/a03.html

THE DRUG WAR IN BLACK & WHITE

Before leaving his position as the nation's drug czar, General Barry 
McCaffrey advised the incoming administration to stop referring to the 
federal strategy as a war. Instead, he said, it's like fighting cancer: 
"prevention coupled with treatment, accompanied by research." It may sound 
like a change of heart, but in the same statement, the general reiterated 
his belief that "law enforcement is essential for reducing drug abuse." 
Here's how a few of the more sensible newspapers responded to McCaffrey's 
comments:

Chicago Tribune: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1854/a08.html (related)

"In the U.S. people addicted to tobacco or alcohol are seen to be in need 
of therapy, not punishment. For many drug users, a similar approach offers 
the hope of better outcomes at lower cost. The drug law reformers may not 
have all the answers, but they are on the right track."

The New Mexican:

"America's war on drugs may or may not be a failure  but when it comes to 
marijuana, the governmental warriors are wasting their ammunition. By 
drafting broad-brush laws to protect society from the ravages of truly 
dangerous narcotics, our state and most others might have overreached that 
intent, to the point that our state's prisons, at great cost, are holding 
vast numbers of men and women convicted of victimless crimes."

Roanoke Times: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n042/a02.html (referenced)

"Good politics can make bad public policy, and nowhere is this more evident 
than in the nation's war on drugs. Barry McCaffrey has recommended the 
nation close the treatment gap  and it's about time. He cites education and 
community-based programs as successes. Surely, the Roanoke Valley's drug 
courts, which force offenders to get treatment or go to jail, rank among 
these. Make such successes the thrust, rather than the afterthought, of the 
nation's antidrug strategy."

Albuquerque Tribune: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n035/a02.html (related)

"The operative word is decriminalize, not legalize. Drugs would remain 
illegal, but the penalties for breaking the law would strive to 
rehabilitate offenders rather than add more inmates to a prison system 
desperately in need of its own reform."

The Dallas Morning News: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n027/a03.html 
(referenced)

"General McCaffrey is quite right about the need to change our approach. Of 
the 10s of billions of dollars that the U.S. has committed to the drug 
war  including $19.2 billion this year alone the lion's share has gone to 
law enforcement and punishment with too little going toward treatment and 
prevention. That must change."

The Charleston Gazette:

"The national war on drugs has cost taxpayers billions, has ruined many 
young people and their families  and hasn't reduced U.S. drug use a whit.

"Politicians still love to look stern and tell everyone they're 'tough' on 
drugs. This stance is a sure vote-getter. But is it beneficial to America? 
Maybe it's time to try a more intelligent approach. Last year, a report 
concluded that marijuana is West Virginia's most valuable agricultural 
crop, exceeding all others combined. Wouldn't it make sense to reap the 
economic gain of this crop instead of throwing the growers in prison at 
taxpayer expense?"
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D