DEFENDING THE WAR ON DRUGS

The recent breaking up of a major drug ring in Southeast Tennessee and
Northwest Georgia shows again the importance of America's war on illegal drugs.

Dozens of officers from Hamilton, Catoosa and Walker counties aided in the
operation, and seven people have been arrested on suspicion of being
involved in the methamphetamine ring. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are
believed to have changed hands.

Those who favor abandoning the drug war are fond of saying that busts such
as this one highlight the immensity of America's drug problem and prove
that it is hopeless. What they will not acknowledge is that if law
enforcement efforts to stem the traffic of illegal drugs ended tomorrow,
drug-related crime would explode unimaginably.

Part of the problem in the drug war is that it has a built-in public
relations problem: It's easy for critics to point to jails crowded with
people who sell or abuse drugs. But it's impossible to say how many people
don't get involved with drugs in the first place because they hear about
the legal and health consequences. Who knows the number of people teetering
on the edge of becoming users or sellers who will be dissuaded when they
hear of this latest, high-profile bust?

Battling illegal drugs is admittedly a complex task. It involves cutting
off drugs at the source -- places like South America, Mexico, Asia and,
yes, American marijuana fields and methamphetamine labs.

But it also means dealing with the demand side of the equation. If
Americans didn't want drugs, suppliers would go out of business. Part of
making at least some Americans not want to use or sell drugs is making sure
they know the risks involved.

The war on drugs is crucial in seeking to accomplish that goal.