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This advertisement appears in the National Review, the New Republic, the American Prospect, The Nation, Reason Magazine and The Progressive in the summer of 2005.

"THE METH EPIDEMIC . . . AMERICA'S MOST DANGEROUS DRUG" -- Newsweek1 METHAMPHETAMINE CRISIS: HYPE OR FACT? "This is the beginning of a classic scare where you have horrible anecdotes substituted for epidemiological evidence and the media going with these easy stories," says Dr. Craig Reinarman of the University of California. "You don’t want to mistake the worst case scenarios for the norm but that is what happens and it’s true of every drug scare."2 IS USE EXPANDING? The federal government’s own numbers show that "Incidence of methamphetamine use generally rose between 1992 and 1998. Since then, there have been no statistically significant changes."3 HOW MANY METH USERS ARE THERE? About 5% of Americans older than 12 have tried the drug. About 0.3% have actually used it in the past month, versus 0.1% for heroin and 1.0% for cocaine.4 CAN METH BE TREATED SUCCESSFULLY? Research shows successful treatment requires a significant commitment of time and resources as well as patience.5,6,7 HOW BIG IS THE 'HOME COOKING' PROBLEM? Illegal activity is tough to measure but some officials estimate that about 20% of domestic meth consumption comes from the small-scale domestic labs using cold medications and other household materials.8 HOW EFFECTIVE ARE CONTROLS ON 'HOME COOKING' CHEMICALS? Since Oklahoma restricted the sale of cold and allergy medicines officials report a 90% drop in meth lab seizures. Unfortunately the Mexican cartels immediately filled the gap. Seizures of a purer, smokeable form of methamphetamine known as "ice" are up 500%.9 Policy Should Reflect Facts, Not Hype! Common Sense for Drug Policy H. Michael Gray, Chair; Robert E. Field, Co-Chair www.CommonSenseDrugPolicy.org, www.DrugWarFacts.org, www.DrugWarDistortions.org info@csdp.org 1. Newsweek, Aug. 8, 2005. 2. “The Methamphetamine Epidemic – Less Than Meets The Eye,” Drug War Chronicle, Aug. 5, 2005. 3. Results from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, SAMHSA (2004). 4. Ibid. 5. Rawson, Richard A., et al., "A multi-site comparison of psychological approaches for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence," Addiction, No. 99, pp. 708-717. 6. "The Matrix Model of Outpatient Stimulant Abuse Treatment: History and Description," Obert, Jeanne L., et al., Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, April-June 2000. 7. Methamphetamine Treatment Project at http://www.methamphetamine.org/ . 8. Commissioner Michael Campion, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, US House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy & Human Resources, June 27, 2005. 9. "Stopping Meth Makers Hasn't Stopped Oklahoma's Meth Problems," AP July 28, 2005.

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		Introduction Supreme Court Justice Questions Marijuana Policy Meet the Drug War Winners and Losers Iraq Vets Victims of the Drug War A Letter to Mom The Blue Ribbon Report Richard Nixon Chose to Bury Good News for Doctors and Pain Patients The Man Who Gave Us the Drug War The Devil Weed and Harry Anslinger Why Not Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Is It Sound Policy to Jail Expectant Mothers A Riveting 12-Minute Documentary Mexico Is Becoming the Next Colombia Suffering from Chronic Pain Another Drug Baby Media Scare Methamphetamine Crisis - Hype Or Fact They're telling the Attorney General to butt out How can judges and jurors dispense justice and mercy without relevant information? Urine drug testing fails at school and work Isn't rewarding achievement the American way? Are we addicted to drug war money? Who says we are winning the drug war? Shafer Commission 30th Anniversary The public is saying 'No More Drug War!' Now we are in a real war . . . isn't it time to abandon the war on ourselves? Is the funding of terrorism another unintended consequence of drug prohibition? Should Coerced Treatment Replace Prison For First Time, Non-Violent Drug Offenders? Change of Tune on drug policy? UK Police End Cannabis Seizures White Kids Use and Sell, Black Kids Go To Prison Time for the Government to Provide Safe Access to Medical Marijuana Annual Causes of Deaths in the US Pregnant Women: Drug War Casualties? Bush Offers Hope Clinton Interview Drug Czar Wanted Voting Rights Drug Courts A Real War in Colombia? What We Know About Ecstasy How We Judge a Fallen Hero Crooked Cops Findings of the British Police Foundation Just Say Not Guilty? The More We Escalate, The More Die Protecting Kids? What Should We Tell Our Kids? Happy Valentine's Day? McCaffrey Resign Drug Problem in Perspective Ending the Drug War Is Popular Time to admit the War on Drugs has failed Mandatory Sentencing is Bad Controlled Access to Heroin Do Drug Laws Focus on the Dangerous Drugs? Arizona Stops Jailing Drug Users We Are Deeply Troubled A Police View on the War on Drugs Dutch Drug Policy Even More Effective Treatment More Effective Than Enforcement It's as Simple as 123 Has the Drug Czar Bought the Media? Compromising Integrity and Prestige? Constitution a Victim of the Drug War? Marijuana Myths/Marijuana Facts Dutch Drug Policy Works Pinocchio McCaffrey