Pubdate: Tue, 24 Apr 2001
Source: Augusta Chronicle, The (GA)
Copyright: 2001 The Augusta Chronicle
Contact:  http://www.augustachronicle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/31
Note: Does not publish letters from outside of the immediate Georgia and 
South Carolina circulation area
Author: Dale Warner
Bookmark: Http://www.mapinc.org/states/ga/ (Georgia clippings)

DRUG USERS, NOT DEALERS, THE PROBLEM

Editor, The Chronicle

I just finished reading your April 16 editorial, "Busting the dealers." So 
Burke County spent a year getting the goods on drug dealers. Now they may 
put them in prison. This procedure is like locking up the car a drunk 
driver drove but letting the drunk go free. The real drug problem is the 
"user" not the dealer. Until we take users off the street and dry up the 
demand for drugs a whole new set of dealers will replace the ones that were 
busted. ...

Since the early 1950s, the U.S. has been busting drug dealers. Has this 
stopped the sale of drugs? No. Annual street sales come to multi-millions 
of dollars. It's time to build some prisons where the users can be treated, 
maybe a program like "three strikes and you're out" or, in this case 
"you're in."

First-time offenders would get one year, second-time offenders, two and 
third-time offenders, 10 years.

Instead of sending money to Colombia to stem the flow of drugs, we could 
build a few prisons. We could also sell all the helicopters we sent them 
and bring our American advisers in Colombia home. ...

Dale Warner, Aiken
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