Pubdate: Thu, 28 Jul 2005
Source: Greensboro News & Record (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Greensboro News & Record, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.news-record.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/173
Author: Robert Sharpe
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

TREATMENT IS KEY IN FIGHTING METH USE

How should North Carolina respond to the growing use of methamphetamine? 
During the crack epidemic of the '80s, New York City chose the zero 
tolerance approach, opting to arrest and prosecute as many offenders as 
possible. Meanwhile, Washington Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack and 
America's capital had the highest per capita murder rate in the country. 
Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously.

Simply put, the younger generation saw firsthand what crack was doing to 
their older brothers and sisters and decided for themselves that crack was 
bad news. This is not to say nothing can be done about meth. Access to drug 
treatment is critical for the current generation of meth users. Diverting 
resources away from prisons and into cost-effective treatment would save 
both tax dollars and lives.

The following U.S. Department of Justice research brief confirms my claims 
regarding the spontaneous decline of crack cocaine: 
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/187490.txt

Robert Sharpe

Washington

The writer is policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy. 
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MAP posted-by: Beth