Pubdate: Sat, 26 Mar 2016 Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) Copyright: 2016 The Associated Press Contact: http://www.timesdispatch.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/365 POLL: MOST AMERICANS SEE DRUGS AS BIG PROBLEM (AP) - Many people have seen firsthand the ravages of drug abuse reflected in a national Associated Press- NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. Whether it's alcohol or illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine, a majority of Americans say it's a problem and that it needs to be addressed better. The poll found that most Americans- 62 percent - said that at least one type of substance use was a serious problem in their communities. That included alcohol, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, meth and prescription pills. About 43 percent said they had a relative or close friend with substance abuse issues. Seven in 10 Americans believe not enough is being done to find better addiction treatment or to make treatment programs more accessible in their communities. The AP- NORC survey described a feeling that drugs are a pervasive problem, with many seeing friends or relatives ravaged by drugs and believing that treatment options need to be improved for addicts while punishment needs to be fierce for dealers. While 61 percent of those surveyed said they support legalizing marijuana, most said they want it limited to medical treatment or want to impose restrictions on amounts that can be purchased. Warren Lawler Chansky is a retired criminal defense lawyer who believes that as long as alcohol is legal, so should marijuana for recreational and medicinal uses. "I've seen awful crimes, tragedies. But very few associated with marijuana," said Chansky, 57, of Port St. Lucie, Fla. The AP- NORC Poll of 1,042 adults was conducted Feb. 11- 14 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U. S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom