President Bush’s Plan to Fight Drugs

I watched President Bush on TV, and I’m glad that we finally realize that drug abuse is our No. 1 problem. It affects more people, ruins more lives than any other enemy America has. It also costs us a lot more than $8 billion in terms of crime, extra law enforcement salaries, prison cells, lost productivity. So we should spend enough to win this war. Spending money is not alone going to win this war, but it will be a lot costlier if we don’t spend enough.

Here are some suggestions I have:

Yes, spend more money on law enforcement. More police, prosecutors, judges and prison cells. Their only goal should be to get the big-time pushers off the street. There must be swift and certain punishment. Let’s make big-time drug dealing the riskiest business in America, and not the most profitable.

Next, let’s educate the children. Don’t tell them “Just Say No!” and show them some films in class. There are thousands of recovered addicts and alcoholics who can go into schools and graphically tell the kids what an addict’s life is like.

We need volunteer work like this in all schools across the nation before the kids end up in a hospital or prison ward.

Let’s help the people that are already addicted and want help. Let’s make sure there are enough halfway houses and recovery programs.

Drug abuses touches almost everyone and we all need to get involved in stopping it. Don’t rely on the government to win this war if we don’t contribute also.

PAUL GREENOUGH

Sylmar