Pubdate: Sat, 11 May 2002 Source: Herald-Sun, The (NC) Copyright: 2002 The Herald-Sun Contact: http://www.herald-sun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1428 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n870/a01.html SENSELESS EVICTION ORDER Your May 6 editorial on a Durham public housing resident's close call highlighted one of the more glaring examples of out-of-control zero tolerance. The "one-strike, you're out" policy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that entire families be evicted from public housing if anyone, even a guest, uses drugs. The youthful indiscretions of a rebellious teen-ager could result in homelessness for an entire family. According to a survey by Monitoring the Future, more than half of all high school seniors have tried an illegal drug at least once. Exposing 50 percent of all families living in public housing to the dangers of living on the street is not the answer to America's drug problem. Fortunately for Jackie Kersey, a Durham magistrate and a District Court judge had the good sense to overturn a senseless eviction. Drug abuse is bad, but the zero tolerance drug war is worse. The writer is a program officer at the Drug Policy Alliance in Washington, D.C. ROBERT SHARPE Washington, D.C. May 11, 2002 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom