War on Drugs Shifting Tactics

*News Flash*The Associated News Group

With over a Trillion dollars spent since 1971 the War On Drugs is shifting tactics.  Clinics are scheduled to open around the country to assist addicts with free, non-judgmental services.  Starting with the major cities and expanding to smaller markets these clinics will provide the addicted with their drug of choice in a clean and safe environment, administered by licensed nurses with counseling, if wanted at no cost and with no penalties.

The decision to fund these clinics and offer these services is a direct result of the past “war on drugs” and the disastrous changes in addiction across the country, even after years of fighting that war.  This new policy change is a direct result of a better understanding of the underlying conflict with illicit market forces and the need to mitigate those overwhelming trends for a much softer and logical approach.

Free illicit drugs will not be handed out to those in need but will be administered to those who need.  Addicts will have to visit an approved facility but will be given their drugs for free, no questions asked.  As mentioned counseling will be provided to those in need but only if wanted. (Studies show that most hard core drug users have the desire to get clean but lack the will or means)

The current cost of the War on Drugs is staggering with the numbers of drug users only marginally changing from year to year as new drugs and new methods of distribution continue to hamper the efforts toward stemming the tide.  The above plan does not decriminalize drug use but redefines those that use drugs as patients while increasing the penalties to those that pedal and distribute with increased penalties and fines for those that use outside of the prescribed locations.

By redefining drug users as patients the opportunity to help the user is increased and the stigma and the mystic of drug use will be substantially reduced.  A large reason for initial drug use is the pressure to use, the excitement and the rush and that mystery, that will be mitigated substantially as well.  As a result of making drugs available within a clinical setting the incidents of crime will be moderated noticeably.  The crime related to gangs will also be reduced as clinics buy directly from the growers or at least from the drug lords erasing the need for expensive and illicit trafficking.  Negotiations with farmers and chemist to farm and manufacture the drugs will illuminate the over the border negotiations and reduce our current federal aid to countries like Mexico and Columbia.

Another direct benefit of the clinical option is in the quality of the drugs, they will be much higher quality, with fewer incidents of death due to overdose and negative reactions due to tainted supplies.  The cost savings will be literally in the billions of dollars per year in direct cost and even more in ancillary costs resulting from past drug related crime, burglary, theft, prostitution etc…

With more than a Trillion dollars being spent since the inception of this drug war the simple idea of helping those in need directly will almost change the face of that war overnight.  No longer will the addict have to grovel or steal for their fix, all they will have to do is enter a clinic and get whatever they want, as often as they want.

The morality of the past war on drugs was a loss of countless lives and innocents trapped in the crossfire between governments and well-funded gangs that literally killed thousands to retain their tenuous market advantage.  As a trade-off government sanctioned use of previously illicit substances will be administered freely requiring 180 degree change in past policy.  But with that trade-off comes the drastic drop in crime across the board in every major city in the country. 

One disadvantage is the numbers of drug users that will be serviced.  No one really knows how many will avail themselves of the program and those numbers may be staggering at first with real costs still in the billions to assist the estimated 200 million drug users (many of these use Marijuana, a drug that is slated for legalization across the country).  That disadvantage will quickly dissolve as more addicts are helped, drug trafficking is reduced and gangs are left without funding.

The savings to the communities will be substantial as gangs are hobbled due to loss of trade and loss of customers. Prison overcrowding will be thing of the past as inmates with drug violations are reviewed and released. But perhaps most importantly is the cost of our morality and goodwill, a cost that is incalculable as those in need are helped and restored toward productivity and helped back to their families and loved ones.

Look for your local clinic and tell your friends in need that help is on the way.  Brought to you by the drug council and the logical approach consortium, in connection with common sense league and the better way of doing business group.