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There is a big war going on and it isn’t on terrorism. Truth be told it’s been going on for over 30 years. The battle was being raged before then but thats about the time when we started calling it the “WAR ON DRUGS!” The problem is that we’ve been losing this war since it began. Yet we persist, fighting the good fight, hoping that we can save the children and the infirmed from this great demon. Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Perhaps it’s time we approached this battle from a different angle.
Bath salts are becoming more and more popular. Jems ran a fantastic article about the recent surge in their abuse. They became more available following the restrictions on synthetic marijuana. People, and I say people not teenagers for a reason, are turning to mind altering substances more and more lately. The reasons vary but the point remains that when given the option between an illegal substance and a legal one, most choose the drug that won’t land them a prison sentence. The problem is that those “legal drugs” aren’t regulated and the people manufacturing them know that if the government bans their product, they only need change one molecule to fall into legal territory again. They aren’t hard to find either, most smoke stores carry them and if not all it takes is Google. There are also no regulations as to who they can be sold to, if you have the money your in luck.
The desire to restrict all that is bad for people is noble, but flawed. We remember the stories of alcohol prohibition and it’s subsequent failure. Anyone in EMS for more than a day has seen the various ways that people try to get high. Gasoline, spray paint, markers, cough syrup, mothballs, canned air dusters, even smoking nutmeg have all been tried by those seeking a cheap, legal high. If you are still convinced that you can regulate your child’s way to a healthy adult hood, take a look at the “choke out game” and realize that you can’t legislate stupid.
We need to look back at the successful paths that have been taken when dealing with drugs. Remember the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906? How about the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act? The nation had a problem, the products being offered and sold had no quality assurance. Anyone could make anything and market it as a cure for whatever ailed the general populace with no assurance that it didn’t contain deadly ingredients. The federal government took a stand and enforced the standards of the products being sold. Had they spent decades chasing down and banning each individual item, Four Loko’s problem wouldn’t be the high alcohol and energy content, it would be it’s high arsenic content.
The bans enabled today are aimed at stopping the production of the “drugs” entirely. It makes me wonder what would happen if they had simply said, make synthetic marijuana, but do it with safe chemicals and only sell it to those that are 21 and older. Would it stem the manufacture of these other detrimental chemicals, would it keep everyone from huffing and snorting over the counter products? Probably not. Would it give those seeking a high a safer alternative? Maybe.
It is however a double edged sword. Alcohol is legal and regulated and yet people still die from it’s use. There are millions of people every year that are treated for alcohol related diseases. It is no doubt a burden on the nation. Think of the drunks we pick up everyday, but also think of the fact that they are drinking alcohol purchased at a store. They are inebriated on a legal, highly regulated substance that they chose to use too much of. The alternative is the same person, near death on home brewed moonshine. It’s a documented trend. The more you tighten legislation, the more people try to get around said rules, even if it costs them their life.
Look back at methamphetamines and their part in the drug war. The more that the government tried to regulate the drug and it’s manufacture, the less pure it became. It’s a pattern we have seen with the recent “legal” drugs, though slightly different. With every new ban, a new drug pops up. With states racing to ban bath salts, I can hardly wait to see what will replace them and how long before we ban their replacements. It’s a battle I fear that the nation will continue to wage. Ill equip to keep up with human beings desire to take their mind off their worries with a puff or a snort. It should provide an interesting time for those of us that are charged with saving their lives after they are all hopped up on fermented tube socks. Until the country realizes that you can’t prevent people from being intoxicated or stupid for that matter, we may never make any progress.
