Nation’s Drug Strategy

Eva Bertram and Kenneth Sharpe set up and then attack a false premise in “The Drug War Corrupts Absolutely” (Opinion, Oct. 4). They would have readers believe that the nation’s “war on drugs” is founded on the flawed premise that we can solve what is essentially a domestic problem by fighting it abroad.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has stated in clear terms that the top priority is to educate our youth about the dangers posed by illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Spending on drug prevention has increased by 33% in the past three years--a greater increase than in any other area of drug control. Gen. Barry McCaffrey tells those who want to wage a war on drugs to start it at their kitchen table by talking to their children.

Bertram and Sharpe refuse to accept the inherent rationality of a balanced strategy that seeks to educate the inexperienced, treat the addicted, shield borders from drug trafficking and punish criminals. They cannot acknowledge an ongoing shift in policy in favor of prevention and treatment. They ought to consider how the current strategy is advancing--in greater depth and with better research and scientific support--some of the very issues they suggested in their own previous publications.

JAMES R. McDONOUGH

Director of Strategy

Office of National Drug

Control Policy, Washington