Letters - Drugs, Reconsidered (2 Letters) - NYTimes.com Re "Addiction on 2 Fronts: Work and Home" (Scientist at Work, Dec. 8): A. Thomas McLellan, the new deputy drug czar, won't be able to shift the government's focus to effective strategies like treatment and prevention until we stop wasting so many of our limited resources on arresting people for drug offenses. Currently, there is a drug arrest every 18 seconds in this country. As a former Seattle police chief who has seen the ravages of both drug abuse and drug policies, I hope federal officials will think about how many more resources we could pour into treatment if we regulated drugs and stopped putting handcuffs on people for what Dr. McLellan readily acknowledges is a medical issue. Norm Stamper Eastsound, Wash. As federal and state governments cut spending for treatment, substance-abuse facilities are forced to cannibalize one another to remain economically viable. And with layoffs during the holiday season, there are fewer treatment providers. Government needs to regulate health insurance companies and benefits so scarce resources can be allocated in the most advantageous manner. We need more sober houses, higher salaries to retain high-quality heath professionals, vocational training and intensive case management services, among other things. Dr. McLellan, you provide the funds; we will do the rest. Amy Platt Melville, N.Y. The writer is a social worker.