Pubdate: Thu, 02 Dec 2004
Source: Indianapolis Star (IN)
Copyright: 2004 Indianapolis Newspapers Inc.
Contact: http://www.indystar.com/help/contact/letters.html
Website: http://www.starnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/210
Author: Jacquie Meisenhelder
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1690/a02.html

GET HELP FOR METH USERS, DON'T LOCK THEM UP

Ken Bode's Nov. 26 column on meth in rural Indiana should make us stop
and re-evaluate the war on drugs. Substance abuse is a medical problem
more than a criminal problem. Instead of locking meth users in jail,
they should be in treatment programs with support provided for their
families. In addition to the damage done to the user and their
families, the making of meth is a danger to the community. Forget
about terrorists with car bombs; we have people brewing meth in
apartments and while driving around in their vehicles. That should
scare us into thinking outside the box on at least this particular
drug problem.

We are wasting the state's scarce resources incarcerating these
people. They need to be rehabilitated and put back to work so they can
support their families and pay taxes. Apparently locking them up just
turns them into more efficient meth producers, and unless the state
wants to legalize meth, regulated it and tax it, that's not a good
thing.

Jacquie Meisenhelder

Indianapolis