Editorial, Detroit Free Press, April 30, 2001

But his actions belie the promise of those words, that the United States would finally adopt more reasonable drug policies.

Last week, Bush named John P. Walters as his new drug czar. As the top deputy in the drug office of the first Bush administration, Walters has experience and expertise in this area. But his philosophy is misguided.

He earned his reputation by advocating aggressive, expensive military action against countries and cartels that bring illegal drugs into the United States. He strongly advocates mandatory minimum sentences that lock up low-level drug abusers for decades and even lifetimes for first offenses. He believes in the wide scale incarceration of young, poor drug abusers and dealers, and is extremely critical of drug treatment and rehabilitation programs.

"John Walters not only hates drug addictions, he hates drug addicts, and he certainly hates drug users who are not addicts," said Eric Sterling, president of Criminal Justice Policy Foundation in Washington, D.C. Sterling was the House Judiciary Committee's staff expert on drug policy from 1979 to 1989.

Even Gen. Barry McCaffrey, drug czar under former President Bill Clinton, expressed serious concerns that Walters won't pay enough attention to drug treatment and prevention.

Based on his record and rhetoric, Walters' approach to dealing with the drug crisis is wrong. Such tactics have contributed to the multibillion-dollar prison system, under which the United States locks up more of its own people than any other country in the world -- with little impact on drug use.

When Walters goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee, members need to carefully review his record and pointedly question his willingness to take more forward-looking steps to stem the drug tide. If he's not, they should demand a more enlightened nominee.

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