Pubdate: Wed, 26 May 2010
Source: Athens Banner-Herald (GA)
Copyright: 2010 Athens Newspapers Inc
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Website: http://www.onlineathens.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1535
Author: Ray MacNair

CHANGE STRATEGY IN DRUG WAR

Drug cartels are causing damage, violence, and chaos at and near the 
United States' border with Mexico. The origin of this chaos is drug 
addiction in the United States. President Obama has pointed out that 
people who buy those drugs are paying to sponsor the drug cartels and 
the violence that flows from them.

Over the decades, the United States has spent hundreds of billions of 
dollars of tax money "fighting" and supporting the fight with the 
drug dealers. It does not work. We are in a deep hole, and we keep on digging.

How can we get out of that hole? In some parts of the world, 
treatment of drug addicts has made a big difference. It reduces 
demand for drugs, and without that demand, the supply dwindles and 
violence is reduced. We need an army of addiction therapists in this 
country, but we are not working on that. As a nation, we are addicted 
to military and police actions that are not effective in addressing 
the drug problem.

We need to learn to take the high road in reducing drug addiction.

Ray MacNair
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