POISON TO BE ADDED TO SHABU?

HERE'S an unsolicited advice from a town mayor to help stop the drug
problem in the country: All shabu confiscated by the police must be
poisoned to prevent the illegal drug from being "resold" in the market.

The mayor, who asked not to be named, said there are reports that some
seized shabu find their way back in the drug market - worsening the drug
problem.

"When the confiscated shabu is poisoned, it can no longer be sold in the
market. But if the poisoned shabu still finds its way into the market, the
one using it may die and this could generate a story in the media. Shabu
users would then be afraid to use shabu again because they too, may die,"
the mayor said.

He added that he has told President Macapagal-Arroyo about the proposal,
telling her the government need not spend P1 billion to fight the illegal
drug problem in the country.

He did not say if the President was amenable to the idea. "We won't even
need one hundred million pesos because people would be afraid to die. When
nobody uses shabu anymore, there will be glut of the illegal drug in the
market and the price will plunge. So those engaged in the trade would no
longer find it profitable and the trade will die," the mayor explained.

He said he has brought out the idea with anti-drug enforcement authorities
during a meeting in Malacanang last Saturday, and it was agreed that they
would ask a chemist to find what kind of poison to add to confiscated shabu.

Cyanide is out of the question because when that poisons touches the foil
used in inhaling shabu, it explodes. "We are still looking for a poison
that could be added to shabu," the mayor said.