SACRAMENTO - A ballot initiative that would send drug users into treatment rather than prison was opposed Thursday by Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who says it would actually hurt rehabilitation efforts.
Proposition 36 would require treatment rather than time behind bars for those convicted for the first or second time of being under the influence of drugs or possessing drugs for their personal use.
Lockyer said he agrees that California should devote more money to treatment rather than automatically imprisoning addicts. However, the measure would undermine rehab efforts by removing jail time as a punishment that can be used to force addicts into treatment, Lockyer said.
''Drug treatment programs don't work unless there's both a carrot and a stick,'' he said at a Capitol news conference with other law enforcement leaders including Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
Supporters countered with a radio ad featuring an endorsement from Dr. Gary Jaeger, president-elect of the California Society of Addiction Medicine, who says sending drug addicts to prison doesn't work.
Jaeger treats drug addicts in the Los Angeles area, but so far the 60-second ad is running mainly in the Central Valley.
''We're trying to focus on real people and doctors rather than actors and cops,'' said Dave Fratello.
Fratello, the campaign manager for the California Campaign for New Drug Policies, was referring to the law enforcement opponents and to actor Martin Sheen's television commercial opposing the initiative.
The Sheen ad will air next week on NBC-TV's ''The West Wing.'' Sheen plays the president on the show.
Viewers in some urban areas likely won't be able to see the ad because opponents can't afford to air it statewide, said Jean Munoz, spokeswoman for Californians United Against Drug Abuse, a coalition of groups opposing the measure.
''Proposition 36 is not just about treatment versus prison,'' Munoz said. ''We support treatment that works.''
A Field Poll released Saturday showed just 15 percent of voters knew enough about the drug treatment measure to form an opinion. Of those, 10 percent favored it and 5 percent were opposed.
Once they were read the ballot description, 49 percent were in favor, 28 percent opposed and 23 percent undecided. That was down from 55 percent in favor in August, and 64 percent in favor in June.
Both sides said that means they have a lot of work before the Nov. 7 election.
Lockyer plans to hold events starting next week to rally opposition, spokesman Nathan Barankin said.
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On the Net:
Read Proposition 36 and arguments for and against at http://www.ss.ca.gov
