America’s New Drug Policy Landscape

[Jazzy]

The public appears ready for a truce in the long-running war on drugs. A national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that 67% of Americans say that the government should focus more on providing treatment for those who use illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Just 26% think the government’s focus should be on prosecuting users of such hard drugs.

Support for a treatment-based approach to illegal drug use spans nearly all demographic groups. And while Republicans are less supportive of the treatment option than are Democrats or independents, about half of Republicans (51%) say the government should focus more on treatment than prosecution in dealing with illegal drug users.

As a growing number of states ease penalties for drug possession, the public expresses increasingly positive views of the move away from mandatory sentences for non-violent drug crimes. By nearly two-to-one (63% to 32%), more say it is a good thing than a bad thing that some states have moved away from mandatory sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

Source

If you had taken this survey, would have chosen treatment or prosecuting?

 

[DrLeftover]

I don't know.

But this is from the same survey and seems to have a slightly different angle to it than the headline

http://www.people-press.org/2014/04/02/americas-new-drug-policy-landscape/4-2-14-4/