To Defeat Heroin We Need to (NOT) Stay the Course
http://www.acluohio.org/blog-posts/to-defeat-heroin
To combat abuse of heroin and prescription opiate pain killers there are several principles we need to keep in mind and actions we need to take.
We must shut down all the pill mill pain clinics, imprison the doctors who run them, and make every other doctor too scared to prescribe opiate pain killers at all. We can’t worry about what happens to all those pain patients who suddenly find themselves without a doctor.
Yes, they’ll be forced to go through withdrawal when their prescriptions run out, and, yes, many, in desperation, will turn to illegal drug dealers. But we have to remember that a few of these patients might actually be drug-seeking junkies and that’s who we need to focus on.
We need to increase funding for the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. We should be proud that, unlike so many other countries, America has not fallen into the trap of allowing drug policy to be controlled by health care professionals. We’ve learned that law enforcement agents who are unencumbered by medical expertise, like our DEA, know best when it comes to drugs.
We don’t need to make things complicated. These people should just say no to drugs or go to jail.
Most importantly, we need to stay the course we set with the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914. For a whole century we have sustained the courage to fight the war on drugs with a series of increasingly tough drug laws. We can now take credit for imprisoning more drug offenders than any other country. We alone have taken on the burden of housing 25 percent of the world’s prison population.
Just imagine what things would be like if we hadn’t shouldered this burden. Why should we stop now, when, surely, if we just keep doing what we have done so well for so long, victory soon will be ours?
Stay strong America and stay the course!
Mike Uth is a member of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Ohio.
Filed under: General Problems
The author forgot to mention the fact that all those poor terrorist organizations and drug cartels would be bankrupted w/ the stroke of a pen. And what about all those poor DEA and CIA agents? They would be forced to get real jobs and end their assault on individual’s liberties.
With all the mayhem caused by prescription and illicit drugs it is a wonder how this country didn’t implode during all those years before the Harrison Act when one could simply order heroin out of the Sears catalog or by obtaining one of the traveling salesman’s cure all elixirs containing opium and cocaine.
Thank you ACLU for pointing out that we stand head and shoulders above those neanderthal Europeans, how barbaric that they dont save people from themselves. Who could argue w/ 3 free hots and a cot over taking responsibility for one’s own actions, we just couldn’t have that. You KNOW there is always SOMEONE to blame when things go awry in a person’s life, its the American way.
Folks — this was written by a director of the ACLU in Ohio. Don’t you know when you’re being kidded?
What? This isn’t what you meant to say right? I can’t hit the like button. Maybe if I thought this wasn’t really happening, or if you were just trying to make a point. But I only felt that you think everyone who takes pain meds is an addict or feign. Please explain your post. Cause I’m not buying what you’re selling..
UGG, sorry, didn’t read well enough, and got upset!! Well, hopefully the ACLU will start getting involved!!
Please tell me that this is facetious!!