Pubdate: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) Copyright: 2002 Chattanooga Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.timesfreepress.com/index.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/992 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom