Stopping the Drug Epidemic

Hudson Institute ^ | 21-Sept-2017 | John P. Walters

[topher]

Drug trafficking is now the most murderous criminal activity in American history. Overdose deaths from illegal drugs passed 50,000 in 2015 — many times the number of Americans killed by all Islamic terrorists over almost 20 years. Yet stopping the skyrocketing body count will require overcoming a pervasive misunderstanding of how drug abuse and addiction are caused.

[topher]

Key sentence from article:

As a result, cutting the drug supply — and only cutting supply — will reduce deaths and addiction. The evidence for this conclusion is manifest; ignoring it will cost countless more lives.

Another key quote from article:

Conversely, during the George W. Bush Administration, when the supply of cocaine, crack, and meth began declining, use declined.

So, Obama-nut (or Obama-mess or Obama-Jell-o) admin caused a spike in the Opioid deaths.

Now Demon-Cratic US Senators and Demon-Cratic Congress Critters are blocking the Border Wall. According to this article, Columbia and Mexico are key illegal drug suppliers OUTSIDE the US for the OPIOID EPIDEMIC.

[topher]

Note: Demon-cratic = Democratic Members of US Congress.

This is an important justification for the BORDER WALL, in my opinion.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

If we do not build that damn wall, and Mexico truly goes full socialist, whatever problems we think we have now on the Southern border will octuple. Anyone thinking about this and taking a sober view had better understand this. The exodus of people from Mexico will grossly overwhelm any capacity we have to deal with illegal immigrants, now or imagined. This is 100% predictable as far as I’m concerned.

[topher]

Illegal Immigrants are used as DRUG MULES. I am certain if some of these people refuse, they might be murdered or members of their families murdered.

Additionally, I am certain the Illegal Immigrant children are used as DRUG MULES or used to aid the smuggling of drugs into the US.

The Democrats in Congress are such idiots... And help to promote the evil of drug smuggling...

[Vendome]

They are conflating lawful requirements for painkillers with unlawful and highly addictive opiods such as meth.

[gaijin]

China supplies the raw material.

They have been and are now angry and eager for retribution over what they call their “100 Years of Humiliation”, an era of Chinese history in which they (correctly) see themselves as having been victimized by the west; Opium Wars, etc.

So it’s payback, basically.

And the Mexies see us as land thieves.

So it’s international revenge, basically.

I’m saying this not because I approve of their views but because I’m dubious they’ll change this even a little bit.

[topher]

Currently, the term ‘Drug Opioid Epidemic’ (or just ‘Opioid Epidemic’ is a key term in local, state and national politics.

[gaijin]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation

[topher]

The BORDER WALL will help DEA and ICE with the flow of drugs and help local law enforcement.

I do not disagree with anything you say, I am just trying to use the focus on the Opioid Epidemic to help get the Border Wall built.

[grumpygresh]

The DEA has horribly abused the Controlled Substance Act to go after doctors in the same way as drug dealers. The CSA was not intended to do this; The CSA was intended to deal with drug trafficking and illicit drug use not legal opioid prescriptions.

The DOJ and DEA have illegally taken upon themselves to determine whether opioids used in medical practice are used for a legitimate MEDICAL purpose. This is a massive over-reach on 2 levels,

1. Bureaucrats are not trained as licensed doctors and should attempt to not practice medicine.
2. The Federal government should not intrude on the State’s right to regulate medical practices.

[mplc51]

Drones will be flying over the drugs, they already are.

[kaehurowing]

You will not stop drugs until you start publicly executing drug dealers and drug traffickers.

[BitWielder1]

We definitely need the wall since we are already seeing the transition from criminal gangs in Mexico breaching the border to the Mexican government endorsing the incursion.

[amihow]

Law enforcement will tell you that fentynal at the border is so lethal, flicking it off your shirt can result in almost instant death. This stuff is being trafficked by anyone and everyone. But don't separate the “children”.

[rlmorel]

Huh.

I thought the ‘opioid epidemic’ was due to sick medical patients being pumped full of unwanted prescription drugs being over-prescribed by the evil healthcare system so the doctor’s children could go to Ivy League colleges.

So it is all coming over the border then?

[Cobra64]

Yup. Unfortunately, Trump is the only one mentioning this. The Stupid Party should be televising shock videos of opioid users. Then, maybe someone will pay attention and there might be interest in the Wall among the non-believers.

[Mears]

“So it is all coming over the border then?”
—

Or ships-——Fentanyl is pouring in from China.

.

[Brian Griffin]

“cutting the drug supply”

They can’t even stop thousands of teenage Hondurans from getting across the border.

It’s always going to be easier to smuggle Fentanyl than a live human being.

Addiction, like human homosexuality, is a normal part of the human condition for small percentages of the population.

The emphasis must be supplying the addicts with FDA-regulated liquid solutions of the drug based on their ability to tolerate opioids.

If an addict dies, I blame the politicians and the parents unwilling to accept the addiction of their children.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.”

The combination of buprenorphine/naloxone can keep an addict off street drugs, if the addict wants to.

Simply make buprenorphine/naloxone prescriptions have unlimited refills.

One $250 doctor visit and the addict never has to see an addiction treatment doctor again until the addict is ready to come off opiates with a methadone taper.

Methadone, tapered over a month or two, can wean an addict off opiates.

The US has tried to wage war on drugs for about 109 years.

All that has accomplished is to fill prisons with dark-skinned people.

[Brian Griffin]

From the “moderate” bill:

“AVAILABILITY OF BORDER WALL SYSTEM FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount appropriated in subsection (a)(1)—
(A) $2,241,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2018;
(B) $1,808,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2019;
(C) $1,715,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2020;
(D) $2,140,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2021;
(E) $1,735,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2022;
(F) $1,746,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2023;
(G) $1,776,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2024;
(H) $1,746,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2025; and
(I) $1,718,000,000 shall become available October 1, 2026.
(2) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY.—An amount made available under subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), or (I) of paragraph (1) shall remain available for five years after the date specified in that subparagraph.”

You might see the border wall completed September 31, 2031.

[Brian Griffin]

“You will not stop drugs until you start publicly executing drug dealers and drug traffickers.”

Someone here once wrote:

“Dealers are better known to each other than to law enforcement, and they kill each other with no due process - yet replacements always spring up, because due to drug criminalization the money is too good for many to pass up.”