DeThrone The Drug Czar

Due to the incredible response to my last post on this issue-- thank you everyone who responded and who forwarded it and who took action-- I was asked to write more about the possible nomination of Jim Ramstad as drug czar for Mother Jones and why it is a bad idea. Since then, drug policy, AIDS and addiction professionals have organized several sign-on letters urging President Obama to reconsider.

As many commenters noted, one of the best ideas of all would be to get rid of the position entirely, given its baggage. The Mother Jones piece is here.

I also wrote a summary of the data on needle exchange and why Ramstad is wrong to oppose it for stats.org, available here

And, for anyone who wants to read even more about addiction, in this instance about poor coverage of addiction treatment and why we certainly don't need another person who is pushing 12-step programs as the only way in the drug czar's office, I wrote this about the New Yorker coverage of "luxury rehab" here. More to come!