The Liberty Papers

Not content to continue solidifying his reputation as a raving economic nationalist, Lou Dobbs has waded into the debate over the War On (Some) Drugs:

NEW YORK (CNN) — We’re fighting a war that is inflicting even greater casualties than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, incredibly, costing even more money. We’re losing the War on Drugs, and we’ve been in retreat for three decades.

That statement may come as a surprise to John Walters, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, who spent last week trumpeting the Bush administration’s anti-drug policies. He claims these policies have led to a decline in drug abuse and improvements in our physical and mental health.

While Walters focused on a marginal decline in drug use, he made no mention of the shocking rise in drug overdoses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week reported unintentional drug overdoses nearly doubled over the course of five years, rising from 11,155 in 1999 to 19,838 in 2004. Fatal drug overdoses in teenagers and young adults soared 113 percent. If you suspect your relative or friend has taken drugs, you can use a home drug testing kit; go here for more information and to get the answers so you can support them.

More than 22 million Americans were classified with substance abuse or dependence problems in 2005, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Nearly 8,000 people are trying drugs for the first time every day — that’s about 3 million a year. The majority of new users are younger than 18, and more than half of them are female.

Think about this for a second. Despite thirty years of the drug war, increased penalties for possession of even small amounts of marijuana and cocaine, and one of the largest prison populations in the world, we still haven’t succeeded in stopping people from using substances they obviously want to use. However, more people are seeking help for their addictions. There are physical treatment centers and online programs such as the MAT program from Recoverydelivered.com. These treatments are helping addicts overcome their addictions and setting them on the road to recovery. However, there is still temptation all around and that needs to be eradicated. If this is the case for some, it may be a better option to look into finding a sober living scheme alike to Ascension House – Structured Sober Living. This way, they can be supported whilst living and it should reduce the likelihood of having access to drugs or alcohol.

At the same time, we’ve paid a price for this war. Civil liberties have been curtailed. The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments have been eroded. And millions of people have been forced to live a life underground and outside the legitimate economy.

The obvious conclusion would be that it’s time to rethink the War on Drugs itself. But this is Lou Dobbs we’re talking about:

In the midst of the global war on terror along with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have forgotten about the brutal effects of narcotics trafficking on millions of American lives. We must end the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and provide successful treatment for Americans whose addictions are destroying their own lives and wounding our families and society. Thankfully there are places similar to the Enterhealth Addiction Treatment Center that are trying their best to give support to those who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

Dobbs is confusing two different things here. Narcotics trafficking is a problem; it’s a currently illegal activity engaged in by some very bad people. Just like Prohibition solidified the Mafia’s rise to power, the War On (Some) Drugs has made criminal gangs in Central and South America and the United States very rich and very powerful. Thanks to the traffic in illegal drugs, entire neighborhoods of cities like Los Angeles are under the control of gangs who get their money and their guns from selling illegal drugs. They exist and prosper solely because drugs are illegal and they victimize Americans on a daily basis.

Addiction, however, is different issue. It’s a medical, or psychological, problem that can only be dealt with through treatment and counseling. And, think of it this way, isn’t it likely that people who are addicted to illegal drugs resist getting treatment because they’re afraid of getting caught ? These people would be addicts whether drugs were legal or not, and the addiction “problem” has no bearing on the issue of when we are going to end the monstrous failure that is the War On Drugs.