Two-thirds of Americans think the US should treat and not prosecute drug users - survey

Pew Research Center's latest survey revealed that over two-thirds of Americans think that the US government should focus on treating drug users as oppose to prosecuting them. The Washington-based nonprofit group also found out in the survey that 63% of adults think that it would be a good idea for states to move away from handing out mandatory sentences for drug offenders who are deemed non-violent.

Businessweek said that the survey follows the growing call for lawmakers to introduce amendments to drug and incarceration policies. US Attorney General Eric Holder has already called for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for majority of nonviolent drug offenders and said that the government needs to focus its resources on treatment programs instead.

On the other hand, the survey conducted by Pew reflected the shift in public attitude towards the current drug policy. 67% of the survey takers have agreed to introduce treatment as oppose to prosecuting offenders who use illegal drugs like heroine and cocaine. Around 70% of the survey takers had deemed alcohol as the more dangerous substance to people's health and society when comparing it to marijuana.

Last month, Pew conducted a separate survey wherein the group found out that a little over half of the Americans believed that pot should be legalized. The results were a complete reversal from the survey they have conducted in 2010, wherein the same percentage of Americans believed that pot remain illegal. Pew also observed that more Americans are backing liberal policies for handling drug user cases despite the fact that they are concerned about the effects of drug abuse. 32% of that survey believed the US is facing a drug-abuse crisis, while 63% believed that drug abuse is a serious problem.

At the moment, the US Congress is mulling over legislation that would give federal judges leeway to hand sentences in drug cases, and that a US commission is expected to reduce guidelines for sentencing non-violent drug offenders, Businessweek said.

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Pew Research Center, US Attorney General Eric Holder, drug abuse sentencing in the US

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