Now that the Global Commission on Drug Policy has declared that America has lost the war on drugs, it's time to develop new strategies, ones that treat drug addiction as a health problem, not a criminal problem.

Illegal drugs have touched every sector of the community from cities to suburbs to rural areas. The victims range from the very young - babies being born with drugs in their systems - to senior citizens.

Drugs can be found even in the most secure places, such as prisons and jails, or on school grounds. At the same time, some states are moving to legalizing marijuana, which many say is a gateway drug.

So it is not a great revelation that the war on drugs was lost.

It was not shocking when the 19-member Global Commission, which includes former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and former Treasury Secretary George P. Shultz, said last week that America needs a shift in logic.

This change needs to include building more accessible drug and alcohol treatment facilities in neighborhoods that have been hurt the hardest.

The commission said it is looking at drug policies that are based on methods that have been proven to help reduce crime, lead to better health and promote economic and social development.

The best approach is to treat drug and alcohol addiction more as a health-related problem and less as a criminal problem. The same shift in thinking occurred in the mental health industry years ago, and the changes have been dramatically better.

Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated if the right programs are accessible.

The government must still secure the nation's borders to try to keep illegal drugs out of the U.S. and should continue to target large drug traffickers. We don't favor legalization of any of the drugs that currently are banned. This is about a shift in emphasis. Let's treat more and jail fewer.

Over the past 40 years, it's estimated the government has spent more than a trillion dollars on the drug war. While jails and prisons are packed with offenders, it can be argued that America is not much safer.

It's time for a change in policy that addresses those with addictions. Spending money in those areas is the best way to assure that addicts get the help they need to become productive citizens.

Do you think the war on drugs can be won? To be considered for publication as a letter to the editor, e-mail your opinion to the Journal Sentinel editorial department.