WE NEED TO FACE REALITY OF NATION'S DRUG USE

Recent events show that we have a problem in mid-Michigan. It is also
a national dilemma. The United States is the world's largest market
for narcotics at $35 billion annually. Tons of illicit drugs pour in
daily. Why the United States? That's where the money is.

That problem, locally, goes with scant notice until there is a
terrible consequence.

"It's the university! Everybody knows that them Aphid Batta Kite frat
boys all take drugs; And they drink whiskey; And get all them co-eds
knocked up!" Well, there are a small number of college students who
take drugs, drink, and carouse. That is one leg of the tripod here in
central Michigan.

"It's the Tribe! Everybody knows how free they are with them monthly
checks. Who knows how they spend all that money?" I imagine most of
the money goes to pay bills and a little into savings whenever
possible. Very likely there are some members taking drugs. The tribal
leaders are very concerned, try to identify the individuals and take
corrective steps. I hope they succeed. That is a second leg of the tripod.

"It's those other kids. Don't you go accusing my
son/daughter/grandson/granddaughter of taking no pot or no heroin."
We have arrived at the third leg of the tripod.

We can't admit that we contribute to the problem because we don't
want to face facts about some of our children, our neighbors, our friends.

A gram of pure methamphetamine cost $245 in September 2006. Marijuana
or cannabis costs around $10 a gram. Anti-drug enforcement in the
United States tends to focus on reducing the flow of drugs. All this
really accomplishes is higher street prices.

This, in turn, means a user soon runs out of ready cash. Stealing
from Mom's pocketbook and Dad's wallet lasts awhile, but as price and
need increase the addict steals from stores and sells the goods in
our pawn shops. We seem to have more pawn shops as time goes by.

I can't address the hook that gets people started on drugs, because I
don't know. It might be low self-esteem, peer pressure, a broken
family, or worse, a doting family. In central Michigan, as elsewhere,
families with money and power can do anything they please. Well, not quite.

What shall we do about this problem?

"String 'em all up: dealers and users alike; and their kin folk!"
Some would want the executions televised to watch the twitching
bodies. I know the United States has become a bit threadbare, but I
hope we are not yet savages. We do too much killing as it is.

"Barricade them borders, north and south! We don't need them
strangers coming into these United States with their drugs and their
foreign ideas." While strengthening the Mexican border has had a
modest effect on trespassers, actually sealing either border would be
prohibitive; certainly more than $35 billion that we don't have. Even
with sealed land borders, drug dealers would simply fly in and
increase the price to cover the cost.

"Cure the junkies!" This is part of the answer, though it too would
be very expensive. Currently, Michigan spends more on prisoners, per
capita, than we spend on students. The "cure" in whatever form would
take resources and more specialists than we currently have. Other
states with more healthy budgets could attract the best available
talent. How could we pay for such a system?

"Legalize drugs!" This is not as harebrained as it sounds. Other
countries have done this, and learned what works and what doesn't. By
controlling quality and quantity of substances, selling through
regulated outlets, and taxing the product, the result would create an
income of billions annually, and a reduction of police efforts. The
worst addicts could be treated and rehabilitated. Just as Prohibition
didn't work with alcohol, moral posturing won't work for drugs.

Perhaps legalization could begin with an extension of the use of
medical marijuana to include sales to more casual users. I am not
advocating drug use. It exists right here. Doing nothing is not an option.