http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124225891527617397.html - Wall Street Journal Article

Kerlikowske Says Analogy Is Counterproductive; Shift Aligns With Administration Preference for Treatment Over Incarceration

"Regardless of how you try to explain to people it's a 'war on drugs' or a 'war on a product,' people see a war as a war on them," he said. "We're not at war with people in this country."

The new drug czar (director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy) is right for making this bold statement. The War on Drugs has done little to solve our drug problems and evidence shows it has even made those problems worse. As he said, it is a war on people - not a war on drugs. 

Shifting from viewing drug abuse as a criminal justice issue to a public health issue will help America to get smart about drugs, rather than continuing to embrace the "tough on drugs" attitude that has gotten us nowhere. Providing accessible treatment for people with drug problems rather than just locking them up and throwing away the key is the right way to tackle the serious drug abuse problem in the U.S.

Read the WSJ's full interview with Kerlikowske here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124233331735120871.html

What do you think?