That means taking on the tobacco and alcohol lobbies on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures. But our campaign finance laws provide cover for polished tassel-loafer corruption by the beer, liquor and tobacco industries. Their campaign contributions and high-priced Washington lobbyists have killed Sen. John McCain's tobacco legislation, proposals to label the dangers of alcohol on bottles of beer, wine and liquor, and cigarette and alcohol tax hikes to increase the price of these drugs and thus reduce initiation of teen smoking and drinking. Of the 2 million Americans in prison for felonies, more than a million have drug and alcohol abuse and addiction problems. Hundreds of thousands can benefit from treatment, but precious little is available.
Motivation is the key here.
Drug courts help. Mandatory sentences hurt. Beneficiaries of public assistance programs who have drug and alcohol problems should be required to enter treatment as a condition of receiving benefits. In law enforcement, it's time to concentrate on making illegal drugs less available to kids and to expand the policing horizon. For teens, illegal drugs are the tip of the iceberg and at the end of the substance abuse journey.