More and more people are aware of the terrible consequences of the increasing use of drugs in the United States, of the huge profits gained by dealers world wide, and of the mounting crime and corruption, all resulting from our laws against the use of drugs. There must be another way to solve these problems. The big question is how? One answer is the repeal of many of our existing laws regulating drug use. For this drastic change to be successful, great expenditures of money and energy should be diverted from interdiction to provide drugs legally, to increase treatment facilities, and most importantly to develop an intensive prevention and education program in the schools. New laws should eliminate the profit and treat the addiction as a public health problem. It is not a question of "war" or legalization, but as Jack Katz of UCLA states, "We need an understanding of a collective mission that directs us to constructive action."

First, the drugs now illegal, would be sold at federal government distribution centers at locations that are accessible. The location of these centers could be not only at the public health clinics, but also at other federal stores established in secondary commercial areas. The drugs would be sold to adults in limited quantity per purchase with warning labels describing the dangers of addiction, disclaiming all responsibility for use, etc. Some surveys have found that there would be very little increase in drug use, even if the drugs are easily available, as shown by the drop in the use of tobacco and alcohol, and the strong interest in health in this country. Information about treatment centers would be provided, and appoint-ment with staff for referral arranged. The price would be at a level to prevent a black market. Whether a tax could be included would be depend upon the cost. Enact laws against selling the drugs by individuals or by private industry, which would eliminate advertising and profits as is now the case with tobacco and alcohol. Conviction of either buying or selling drugs on the black market would result in big fines, not imprisonment, based on the percent of assets of the individual and how many times convicted. The Drug Enforcement Administration would have the power to levy on bank accounts and put liens on property. If the dealer had no assets except the drugs he was selling, these would be seized. He would have the chance to go to treatment if addicted, or to a vocational school if unemployed and unskilled.

For the users and addicts who lack money, drugs, clean needles to prevent the spread of AIDS, medical treatment and follow-up would be available free at public health centers. Each patient addict would be under the supervision of a health officer. Former drug enforcement officers might be a pool for these jobs, as they have had experience in the "Drug Culture" and could readily be trained.

Special drug centers would be established in areas where there is a 24-hour crack market, where death and drugs are part of a nightmare life — the violent existence of North Philadelphia as described in Life magazine of June 1990. The whole economy of this area would be in chaos. Dealers would fight to keep their profits. Users might be fearful to enter the government public health centers, making the transition period very difficult. The longer we wait to legalize drugs and to help the poor people in such terrible neighborhoods, the worse it will be to improve them. So many young people, especially black males, are without hope and will be lost to our society and will be a great burden to all of us. This country needs healthy and trained citizens more than ever in our history.

We should use existing laws to punish users for injury to others, such as in car accidents and robberies, as is done with alcohol. Restrictions should be placed on the use of the drugs, as with tobacco, such as in public places, restaurants and airplanes. In criminal cases judges would have the choice to refer certain users for treatment, if such facilities can be made available. A dramatic decrease in the court cases that are jamming our justice systems would result with the changing of the drug laws.

The second important aspect for the successful legalization of drugs is to provide sufficient treatment facilities, probably under the public health departments. There is some question as to whether treatment can be successful. It has to be voluntary, it may take many months or years with need for follow-up, and it is very expensive. It is still better economically to give treatment than to imprison users and addicts. There are many private hospitals struggling to stay open that could be used for acute care. Perhaps the most successful method for treating inner-city drug addicts (according to Stanton Peele, of Mathematica Policy Research, New Jersey) is a non-medical residential program, therapeutic communities, that teach addicts basic functional skills such as personal hygiene, punctuality and job training. The key to this type of program's success is that addicts voluntarily surrender total control of their lives for up to two years, and as a result, the drop-out rates are high.

The addicts are among all groups of people, not just inner city minorities. In June 1990, the California Bar Association reported that 50 percent of misconduct cases of attorneys, more than 2500 in 1989, involved substance abuse, mostly alcohol and cocaine. The Association is working on a program to help these lawyers, with referral to treatment centers, health insurance to cover costs, counseling, and ways to handle a lawyer's practice while under treatment. This is a positive approach to drug abuse, in contrast t,o our government's punishing the victims of the drug laws.

An example of a privately funded, non-profit drug rehabilitation center is Narconon of Los Angeles. They charge about $2000 to $3500 for the de-tox time in their hospital under medical supervision, then $3000 a month for rehabilitation care which usually lasts about 2 1/2 months. They claim 70 percent to 75 percent success rate for the "long term." The emphasis is on the individual to take control of his life. Most patients are under a health insurance program. Narconon does not accept Medicare or Medical payments. Only adults 18 or over are admitted. The success rate for private centers is understandably good as most of the patients have stable families and skilled jobs to support them.

Perhaps the results of treatment are improving as more experience is gained and research is done. Senator Joseph Biden Jr., Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated recently that the success rate of America's drug treatment centers is impressive. According to TOPS (Treatment Outcome Prospective Study) 80 percent of treated addicts were still off hard drugs 5 years after completing a program. The results also showed that the percentage of addicts holding jobs doubled, and the percentage committing crimes dropped by two-thirds. There is an acute shortage of drug-abuse facilities. Each day there are 56,000 hard-core addicts that will have sought treatment and will have been turned away for lack of staff or space.

The third and most important phase of the legalization program is.prevention and education. Lewis Solmon, Dean of UCLA's Graduate School of Education, is concerned that schools are being asked to solve social problems that are beyond their traditional responsibilities, and for which teachers are not trained. We should direct a large portion of funds saved from interdiction to the nation's school systems. Schools should have two departments "under one roof" — education and social services. Trained teachers would have the time and energy to educate, and trained social workers would help the children with their emotional and social problems. These professionals would work side by side, with the social worker in direct, daily contact with several classes and teachers, depending upon the number and needs of the children, which will vary from community to community. The social worker would provide counseling to the problem child, his family, and would coordinate the services of other community agencies in contact with the student.

These would include family welfare, the police, the courts, juvenile authorities, drug centers, recreational centers, etc. The social workers would present programs now available to schools such as ALERT, financed by the Conrad Hilton Foundation which aims to prevent use of cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol. These drugs are widely used by teenagers, and are the "gateway through which hard drug users almost invariably pass." Field trips could be arranged to drug centers, to hospitals, and other activities that educate children in the dangers of drug use. There are also the "Just Say No" lectures, they could show films and be a primary source of public information. There could be coordination with the DARE program which is presented all over the country by thousands of police. In the meantime, the teachers will have time to teach basic subjects which are needed for gaining skills in the work force, for learning about the world in order to become good citizens. Children will be educated and guided throughout the school years and helped to attend college or trade school until they reach their full potential. The teachers and social workers should receive salaries comparable to the administrators and to the private sector. Local and state school districts usually cannot afford to provide these extra needed services, making federal aid necessary. Participation by schools in the program would be volun-tary. Our society has a need for trained and skilled citizens, now more than ever, as the baby-boom adults are getting older, and there is more competition from the rest of the world. There is no longer unemployment for trained people, no matter what their ethnic background. We have to show the children that there is hope for all. If we don't take action soon, we will lose a whole generation to drugs. Alan Rothenberg, President of the State Bar of California, stated in an article about the effect of the drug war on the court system, that every penny spent arresting, prosecuting and imprisoning drug criminals is a waste of money, while every penny spent eliminating the causes of crime and addiction potentially saves a life. Unless we recognize this, we peril the system of justice we have relied on for 200 years.