DRUG WAR BEGINS WITH FOOLISH USERS

It is amazing that many Americans refuse to understand the basic natural
law of "supply and demand." It can work constructively for us to produce
economic prosperity. It can also work against us, as is illustrated in our
war against drugs. American taxpayers have been forced to pay billions of
dollars to fight against cocaine from Colombia, heroin from the Far East,
marijuana and other drugs from Mexico and many other countries. There also
is a high cost in fighting against domestic drug production. We are told
that currently in our area, production of methamphetamine is outpacing the
growing of marijuana as a problem for enforcement agents. That's because
demand is great, potential profits are large, and meth can be produced
quickly from easily obtained materials, while marijuana production takes
more time. While we must war against the illegal suppliers of all kinds of
drugs, we do not usually take as serious a view of the fact that foolish
drug users create the demand and thus cause the problem. If there were not
people eager to pay big bucks to risk their lives by using drugs, there
would be no cocaine traffic from Colombia and no meth labs in the hills of
Tennessee and North Georgia. It's great to put a "drug lord" out of
business somewhere, or to nab a "dealer" or curb a "pusher." Our jails and
prisons are full of them, and many more deserve to join them. But don't
forget the "users." They are the real cause of our drug problems. They are
not only endangering themselves but are endangering the rest of us and
costing lawabiding citizens billions of dollars because they defy both
common sense and the law.