Pubdate: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC) Copyright: 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times Contact: http://www.citizen-times.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863 Author: Justin Powlison ASHEVILLE CAN'T AFFORD TO NOT TAKE ON SCOURGE OF ILLEGAL DRUG ADDICTION I applaud Councilman Carl Mumpower for continuing to fight the good fight against illegal drugs in the city of Asheville. He stands up for what he knows is right, even when it is unpopular, even when he is mocked in editorials and political cartoons in the local papers. Other members of City Council seem more concerned with "reducing carbon footprints" and building greenways near the French Broad River. They ignore a festering problem as drug dealers from as far as El Salvador and as close as Atlanta victimize our fair county, as does the tragedy of human addiction. They grasp at high-minded "being needs" while large numbers of people suffer in squalor in practically barricaded ghettos of public housing, replete with shootings and open-air drug deals. The "projects" of Asheville are not the only concern; meth labs in north Buncombe County and drug dens in Swannanoa all contribute to a sad trend. Legalization no answer There are some libertarian-minded conservatives who argue that legalizing such hard drugs would solve all of our problems. This is absurd. There are plenty of legal and semi-legal drugs equally devastating lives. Some are even prescribed. And drugs do not affect only the users, but entire families, neighborhoods and the foundations of society that drug use places strain against. As a primary care provider for in-crisis youth in this city, I see firsthand how drugs destroy lives (of the "innocent" and "guilty" alike). I have a front row seat to the fallout. Are adults capable of making choices that affect their own health? Perhaps, but it is never that simple. Even if it were not for the collateral damage (which will always exist), addiction and the psychological/physiological damage caused by drugs rob people of their ability to make rational choices. Gambling and sexual addictions are also troubling. Addiction's blight Such legalization-minded thinkers, in my opinion, haven't tasted enough of the "reality on the ground" and their idealism is not helping to alleviate the very real troubles our community faces. They are an opponent of practical progress as much as the politicians who would prefer to ignore the drug problem altogether. If ignored, it will only get worse. Come to beautiful Asheville. Watch a Tourists game, then walk two blocks and buy a gram of heroin. Serious action needed As a self-described consequentialist libertarian, the economist Milton Friedman argued that every drug should be dealt with as a separate issue. Shoplifting, bank robberies and grand theft auto are all theft-issues dealt with, prosecuted, and prevented in different ways. Perhaps marijuana, Vicodin abuse, meth, crack, ecstasy and other substances should be viewed and dealt with as separate issues. That was Friedman's theory and it is hard to say how such a thing would shake out as a practical policy. Create a semiautonomous task force for each major substance category? Obviously, manpower and money is limited. Always. But creative thinking and courageous action are essential in Asheville's fight against drugs. Dr. Mumpower has been a positive force in this fight, and sometimes a lone voice crying out in the wilderness of public policy. Justin Powlison moved to Asheville after receiving his B.A. in psychology from Cal State-Los Angeles. He works at a shelter for youth in crisis and plans to pursue a PhD. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom