Public Acceptance for Drug Treatment in Lieu of Incarceration for Drug Offenders in Florida

Abstract

How does the public think the drug problem should be solved? Several small opinion polls have suggested that many people believe that drug-abuse treatment is now the best way to fight the War on Drugs. However, opinion polls can be highly questionable as to the accuracy of their claims. This is further complicated by the varied findings of these polls, with some indicating support for the War on Drugs, while others see the war as a failure. A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive research design was used to evaluate perceptions and beliefs of the population of Pinellas Country, Florida, in an effort to determine whether an individual’s attitude on providing drug-abuse treatment in lieu of incarceration for drug offenders is influenced by his or her personal view of drug addiction. The results of this study show that a majority of the participants are open to reform in the War on Drugs.

Keywords

drug treatment incarceration war on drugs

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