Dear Subscriber,
This week my local paper (Press Democrat affectionately locally called “Pravda daily”) ran an editorial on deaths from fentanyl. It is a national crisis. Estimates are 70-100,000 deaths in the USA each year now, and it is growing. The drug laces many other street drugs. The end user has no clue as to what he is getting on the street. Thus cocaine, meth, or other drug could be so laced with an opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine. Just 2mg of the drug can induce fatal respiratory depression. The problem is exploding. We have a porous southern border where drugs of all kinds are flowing in, along with millions of undocumented people. The only winners here are the drug cartels and the losers – our children and family members.
On my “sabbatical”, I got to talk with many former dealers of drugs. One was a 20-year heroin user, now clean, but who openly admitted he would use it again. While on it, he was gainfully employed and a useful member of society. It’s just that the drug was so pleasure giving, he would willingly addict himself again. Such is the human behavior we will never control.
Is there an answer? I think so, but I don’t think the powers at be would permit it, and loosen itself of draconian might. We are not going to change human behavior. We have seen that over and over again, from Prohibition, to the current phony War on Drugs. The “war” has led to hundreds of thousands of needless deaths from just Fentanyl, besides the murder, mayhem and destruction induced by the “war”, and the cartels. So, let’s use logic on a solution.
I think drugs should be decriminalized. Further, like marijuana, I think dispensaries could be set up through government to provide drugs to users at a known dose and purity. Since people are not going to change their behavior, and we have an interest in ending the “accidental” deaths from opioids, why not consider a safe means for addicts or users to get the drug they otherwise risk their lives for, and feed the merciless cartels? The latter also leads to evil human trafficking, including a sex slave trade.
Were drugs provided in this fashion, we would see a collapse of “accidental” deaths. We would see a collapse of the cost of incarcerating non-violent sellers. Why would users go to street sellers for a potential lethal cocktail when they could get a known and pure drug at a dispensary, and at less cost. Drugs were legal once upon a time in America. People survived and were productive. One of my favorite authors, Edgar Allan Poe was an opium addict.
Now you might rightly object citing the damage drugs can cause to the body. My response? The user will find a street way to get the drug anyway, and not know what he is getting. Further, the cost of the street drug will cause the user to find criminal means to fund his/her habit.
Now you will ask about the health fall out of the user. I am not a fan of the taxpayer funding the cost of physical damage from self-abuse. Hence, after a strike or two, the user should be cut loose from any sort of public funding for medical treatments. It is called “tough love”.
Legalizing drugs in this fashion will squeeze out the street dealer. However, I don’t believe a private contract for drugs between consenting adults should be criminal, unless the product provided was not what was contracted for and injury occurs. Regardless, sale of drugs to minors is abhorrent in my view and should remain a crime.
I am curious to know what you think about these thoughts. I can tell you that the cost to the taxpayer to house non-violent drug merchants is taking a bite out of your wallet and I think it is unnecessary waste all the way around, both relative to you and rightly or wrongly harsh to the seller. These people would be better off to society remaining functional in society rather than be locked up at cost to you. And, I did speak with the non-violent drug offenders about this, and unanimously, they all agreed this is a reasonable foundation for an end to the drug crisis in America, and, that is significant to me. After all, were drugs decriminalized and made available in dispensaries, there would be no significant need for street sellers and they would be out of that line of work and profit. But then those profiting and gaining power off the drug war would also be hurt. Since many are in government and decision making positions, I don’t think these thoughts will see the light of day.
I would love your thoughts and discussion.
For those waiting for my Premium Report, please have a bit of patience. I plan a multiple part report on a most commonly “fortified” “nutrient” to your food which would more aptly be considered a violation of California prop 65 as a carcinogen but has been present in the average American’s daily “food” intake for decades. And, it likely is damaging to most who take it in.
To Your Excellent Health,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
I believe that most trauma regarding your comment comes from the illegality of the drug and the "necessity" for the user to harm others to take care of his habit. Were the drugs legal, all that damage would be mitigated. Then, we would fall into the same category as alcohol abuse, which is legally tolerated. Prohibition did NOT work.
I agree. 12 step is terrific. One must surrender to God. Then healing can occur. But not all are willing to take the step. To me, my body is the Temple of God. I will not introduce toxins into this Temple.