During the past two weeks our hypothetical Chief Executives (you) had to make a decision concerning the future of our domestic drug policy. The options presented were the following:

Option A: War. The U.S. military should be deployed to make sure that drugs don't cross national or state lines. Drug dealing should be punishable by death. Drug users should be placed in medical-penal facilities where every effort is made to break them of their addictions. If, after a year, they remain addicted, they should be imprisoned for life.

Option B: Peace. Repeal mandatory-minimum sentencing for drug offenses and shift federal money from building prisons to starting treatment programs to help people overcome their addictions. Expand drug-education programs to prevent people from becoming addicted.

Option C: The White Flag. Legalize drugs and then treat them as we do tobacco and alcohol: tax them heavily, discourage their use, and enforce strict penalties when the side effects of drug use harm other citizens.

The Results

Option A: 11%
Option B: 34%
Option C: 55%

Respondents who chose Option A said that a policy of very strict deterence of the use and sale of drugs would emphasize the civil rights of law-abiding citizens by curbing the frequency of drug-related crimes. Some thought that such a draconian program would probably be effective, but that it would take someone with courage and a sense of responsibility to enact it.

Those who supported Option B pointed out that since the death penalty has not been effective in discouraging capital crimes, why would it discourage drug dealing? Others felt that while shifting our emphasis to treatment is the right course, it is politically unfeasible until the public realizes that imprisonment isn't working. Many wished for a compromise between Option B and Option C in which drug use would be decriminalized, and drug treatment would be emphasized at the national level.

Supporters of Option C said that people should have the right to make their own decisions about drug use, and that the only reason drugs are not legalized already is because of the hysterical anti-drug atmosphere pervading much of the country. Some thought that legalizing drugs would make them less desirable and would lower their prices, which in turn would help alleviate the crime surrounding their purchase and sale. Finally, many said that most drugs are no more dangerous than tobacco or alcohol and that we should follow the anti-tobacco lobby's footsteps by using social pressure and education to stigmatize drug use.

Party Lines

Option	Democrats	Republicans	Independents	Other	Unregistered
Option A	3%	5%	2%	0%	1%
Option B	14%	3%	9%	2%	3%
Option C	23%	6%	13%	7%	2%

Party and Significance

Option	Democrats	Republicans	Independents	Other	Unregistered
Completely Irrelevant	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%
Not Very Important	6%	3%	6%	0%	0%
Fairly Important	19%	3%	8%	3%	3%
Very Important	15%	6%	9%	5%	2%
THE Most Significant Issue	0%	1%	1%	1%	0%

The Significance of the Issue

Issue	Most Significant	Very Important	Fairly Important	Not Very Important	Completely Irrelevant
Drugs	2%	38%	39%	17%	1%
Cuba	0%	5%	28%	63%	3%
Welfare	5%	53%	36%	5%	1%
Balancing the Budget	17%	49%	21%	9%	3%
Tobacco Regulation	0%	10%	28%	43%	15%
Trade Policy	6%	35%	45%	13%	0%
Campaign-Finance Reform	9%	41%	27%	20%	4%
Health-Care Reform	4%	39%	41%	13%	2%
Entitlement Reform	12%	56%	27%	4%	2%
Immigration Reform	2%	32%	50%	15%	1%

Age

Age Range	Option A	Option B	Option C
Under 18	1%	1%	0%
18-34	3%	11%	18%
35-44	2%	11%	15%
45-54	5%	3%	6%
Over 55	2%	5%	6%

Race and Gender. There were too few non-white respondents to present a good statistical analysis of whether responses differed among the races. Women made up 15% of respondents to this scenario.

Gender	Option A	Option B	Option C
Female	2%	5%	8%
Male	9%	27%	45%

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