While Bill Mathesius is correct in supporting individual rights, he fails to consider how drug use violates the welfare of others. Has he thought about the children of drug-using parents? This would be a sizable population.
He could obtain information by visiting the psychiatric hospital programs for children (about 10 in New Jersey, and more are opening) or by looking at worker caseloads (abused and neglected children) at the Division of Youth and Family Services.
Has he considered drug-related accidents? Some substances can impair perception for days without apparent awareness on the part of the user. Were he to support drug testing of people responsible for accidents resulting in serious injury, especially auto- or work-related mishaps, we could better assess the problem of drug-involved injuries to others.
Is Mr. Mathesius going to provide free drugs to the using public, and who will pay for that? Certainly addicts will continue to steal to support drug habits regardless of whether purchases are made on the street or at the local pharmacy.
Also, what are his thoughts on drug-related medical problems? With health insurance and hospital costs going out of sight, who would purchase the necessary services for the physical illnesses secondary to the use of illicit drugs?
To judge from this interview, Mr. Mathesius has not done his homework. His comment about marijuana use at Princeton University while he was County Prosecutor, ''could have put to sleep the entire community,'' is likewise poorly formulated. Had he considered current attitudes and usage, he could have made a statement about the benefits of being fully informed. As Mercer County Executive, he will, I hope, make the effort to collect more information before he advocates for public policy changes.
Nevertheless, Mr. Mathesius is to be applauded for bringing the public's attention to the fact that simply jailing people for drug possession is no answer. Incarceration is costly and apparently accomplishing almost nothing in terms of rehabilitation.
However, he seems to suggest that drug use is simply a problem for the mental health community, not the criminal justice system. I believe the public would be better served if professionals in both disciplines were to establish a dialogue toward planning for the entire population of drug offenders.