Gene,

I don't have any simplistic answers to our substance abuse problems in this society. I am ashamed that it is my generation that made abuse into a widespread problem. Human beings, our most valuable resource, are being wasted.

It costs so much to warehouse people in prisons, that if we spent any appreciable amount on diversion programs, we could save a great deal of money on those who didn't go through the prison system. Even more important, those people would be productive, rather than being leaches on our society.

I repeat, I don't have any simplistic answers to the problem, there are many other things we have to address that contribute to this mess. When we have a president who can go on TV and lie before the whole nation and the nation only laughs about it ("but I didn't inhale."), it is obvious that our problems run very deep, indeed.

Kerry