Pubdate: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 Source: Mitchell News-Journal (NC) Copyright: 2005 Mitchell News-Journal Contact: http://www.mitchellnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1777 Author: Robert Sharpe HOW SHOULD NORTH CAROLINA RESPOND TO THE GROWING USE OF METHAMPHETMINE? During the crack epidemic of the eighties, New York City chose the zero tolerance approach, opting to arrest and prosecute as many users as possible. Meanwhile, Washington, DC 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 first hand 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, MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin