Politics of Addiction by William Moyers on Creators.com

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Politics of Addiction

The final push is on in the race between John McCain and Barack Obama for the White House. In a recent article, Neal Peirce, of the Washington Post Writers Group, wrote: "It's been 20 years since drugs and prisons have even been mentioned in the televised presidential debates. Maybe not just Obama, but McCain too could surprise us with some fresh ideas and promise of leadership as president. But we probably won't hear this unless reporters press the issue."

The first debate came and went without any mention of drug policy. That's too bad because the subject was foreign policy and a major issue America faces is how to curb the exportation of opium from Afghanistan. But it's not too late. Here are a handful of questions somebody must ask McCain and Obama in the remaining debates or on the campaign trail:

Sen. McCain: How has your wife's well-publicized fight against addiction to pain medication helped you to understand the role that treatment plays in assisting people like her in overcoming the problem?

Sen. Obama: What did you learn from your experiences using illegal drugs in college?

Sen. McCain: How would you fight the so-called war on drugs?

Sen. Obama: You oppose so-called mandatory minimum sentencing laws that affect a disproportionate number of people of color who get arrested for drug possession, especially for cocaine. What is your proposed alternative to those laws should they be repealed?

Sen. McCain: Is alcoholism a real disease or more just a reflection on weak moral character or a bad upbringing?

Sen. Obama: Do you favor the decriminalization of marijuana? Why or why not?

And to both candidates: Health care reform will be a priority in the next administration and in Congress in 2009.

Do you favor including treatment for alcoholism or drug dependence in that reform?

For the record, I'm hardly objective in posing those questions. I cannot help it. As a policy advocate working at an organization with the mission of treating addiction and transforming lives and as a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who benefited from multiple treatments, my bias is obvious. And it is motivated by people who are desperate for help for themselves or for their loved ones.

Dear Mr. Moyers: In 2006, my son, Donnie, was arrested for violating his probation. He failed a drug test. I wrote a letter to the public defender and sent a copy to the judge assigned to his case. I mentioned in my letter that my son and others like him are innocent victims of this disease. If these symptoms were associated with cancer patients and one form of treatment did not work, we would do whatever we could to find and provide the right treatment for helping the patients. I wrote that jail provides a safe place (at least I knew he was alive) but does not provide what is really needed to help overcome addiction. Well, my son did his time and got out a year later without any treatment, and he's back there again, only this time, he faces 10-20 years or more. It's a revolving door that only our politicians can stop. They need to understand this is not just somebody else's problem; it's society's problem, too. — Carey T., Valparaiso, Ind.

Addiction is a bipartisan illness that demands a bipartisan approach. There's no debate about it.

William C. Moyers is the vice president of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and the author of "Broken," a best-selling memoir. The paperback edition was released in August 2007. Please send your questions to William Moyers at William@WilliamMoyers.com. To find out more about William Moyers and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.