Pubdate: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 Source: Daily Express (UK) Copyright: 2014 Northern and Shell Media Publications Contact: http://www.express.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/145 Author: Jennifer May SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT RELAX DRUG LAWS? YES IT is time Britain started to treat drug addiction as an illness rather than a criminal offence ("Cameron slaps down Clegg over calls to relax the drug laws", October 31). Putting people in jail for an illness instead of giving them the proper medical treatment they need isn't just counterproductive, it is also many times more expensive. Not only that, custodial sentences do nothing to help the addict's problems and only make matters worse. You wouldn't put an alcoholic in prison so why jail a drug addict? Jennifer May, Sunderland - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom