Pubdate: Mon, 18 Sep 2006
Source: Bradenton Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2006 Bradenton Herald
Contact:  http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/58
Author:  Jack Wilhelm

MULTI-FACETED DRUG BATTLE NEEDED

The Sept. 5 story about the drug problem in Manatee County and the 
need for new treatment facilities underlines the seriousness of the 
problem here and elsewhere. It is encouraging to see that government 
and the public are concerned.

This problem was underlined poignantly the other week in the story 
about the family trying to find their missing daughter: "Father: 
'We're here to find her body.'" It was just one more example that 
drug addiction, prostitution and other crimes can not be separated in 
this or any other community.

For the most part, governmental agencies and our local, county, state 
and national leaders either fail, or refuse, to recognize the unholy 
interaction between the three. The result is that our county, and our 
nation, make very little or no progress in solving these blights on 
American society.

The reason for prostitution and most other crime in the United States 
is drug addiction and the root cause is economic.

The downward spiral goes like this. A person becomes addicted to 
drugs. The first step is to spend all of his or her finances for 
drugs. Then they lose their jobs because they are no longer reliable 
employees. Even if they work, they can't earn enough to pay for their 
habit. The next step is to hock everything they own. Then the pathway 
splits. Men, and some women, generally begin to resort to burglary, 
robbery and thievery to get the money for drugs. Most women, and some 
men, resort to prostitution to obtain drugs or the money for drugs.

On the other side of the problem, most drug dealers start dealing 
because they can make more money that way than any other of which 
they are capable or which society allows. What's more, in the "hood," 
dealers are the role models. They are the ones with gold chains, new 
cars and women. I'll wager that there are more than one thousand 
dealers in any urban area in this country. This number includes 
large, medium, small, and "wannabe" dealers. It also includes the 
large numbers who buy drugs, take some for their own use, and then 
try to sell the rest for enough money to resupply themselves.

The complicating factor to all this is that none quit - using or 
dealing - until he or she wants to. Not treatment, not jail, not even 
life-threatening medical problems can, by themselves, force anyone to quit.

The justice system itself often contributes to the problem. Fines, 
court costs, attorneys or public defenders fees, drug court or other 
treatment fees are staggering.

Many offenders have no marketable skills. They must resort back to 
what they know best - prostitution, other criminal activity, or dealing drugs.

I have painted a bleak picture, and it is. However, it is not 
insurmountable. The solution requires the cooperation of a multi- 
disciplinary, multi-governmental, and multi-voluntary-agency task 
force. (Ironically, that may be an insurmountable problem.)

On one hand, psychologists and social workers could determine and 
deal with the underlying causes of the addiction and determine what 
"fear" is strong enough to make each addict stop using. Causes and 
fears will vary from one offender to another. For example for one it 
may be abuse as a child. For another, it may be fear of jail or of 
losing a child. Psychological counseling should be available to all.

In addition, job skill training should be mandatory and placement 
services should be available to the recovering offender just as they 
are in any community college.

Finally, law enforcement agencies should continue hunting down 
dealers and offenders and handing them over to the court system for 
referral to the services that would best ensure recovery from 
addiction and offer opportunities for gainful, productive, socially 
acceptable life styles.

I'm not optimistic that such a multi-faceted approach will ever 
happen. But, I've been wrong several times before.

Hey, it's expensive, but a systems approach is a lot less expensive 
than the piece meal approach we have now-and a lot less expensive for 
the taxpayers, too.

Jack Wilhelm is a resident of Holmes Beach.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine