Army Bob: Is our drug problem insolvable?

by Robert M. Traxler

EDITOR’S NOTE: Because of a glitch in. David T. Young’s computer e-mail program, the Army Bob column inadvertently was overlooked in the past two weeks. The following is his latest installment.

We as a nation have made drug use for many drugs illegal for the last 119 years; we have spent enormous amounts of money, only to see the use and resulting deaths increase disproportionately with every new generation of Americans.

The problem is that drugs are very acceptable to every generation; Boomers, Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, no matter what age, race, gender, income, location or education.

Huge drug seizure operations are heralded in our media; the rule of thumb is that less than 10% of illegal drugs get interdicted. If we do the math, that means that 90% are delivered to the streets. Drugs cannot be stopped, just as Prohibition could not stop alcohol use. We must do it through education, reducing the market and thus the multi billions, $13 to $50 billion profit per year. As long as billions are made selling illegal stuff to Americans, and it is socially acceptable, law enforcement cannot stop it.

We need to look to Prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s as a lesson. The demand and rewards are so massive it will be done. Drug dealers will go over, under, through a wall, go under or over the oceans and seas and go through the air to deliver drugs to a huge market in our nation, making billions.

A few hours’ work can result in millions in profit, with a 90% chance of not being caught.

Countries like Mexico are narco-states, with drug production and sales a notable portion of the gross national product. The Mexican state of Sinaloa is darn near totally dependent on the manufacture, sale and distribution of a wide variety of illegal drugs to fund its government. Estimates are that in excess of 175,000 Mexicans work directly for the drug cartels.

We pressure the Mexican government to enforce drug laws, and they make a show of arresting drug cartel members. We thump our chests and say we accomplished something, but the fact is that drugs continue to cross the border in huge amounts, and barely a dent is made in the drug pipeline.

If in the very unlikely event we were able to stop the production and sales of all drugs from Mexico, all we would accomplish is moving the cartels to a different nation. The profits are so enormous it will never stop.

Remember when the international headquarters for illicit drugs was Columbia? We spent billions in Columbia, only to see it move to Honduras and then Mexico.

An example of criminal actions not being affected by punishment is the old tale of a pickpocket publicly having their hand chopped off in an open display of justice. At the same time in the crowd, other pickpockets are working their trade. 

During my entire long life, illegal drugs have been a problem. Socially acceptable and widely used. Drugs have never been stopped by enforcement and never will. The demand and profit margins are so enormous that when law enforcement arrests and jails a dealer or trafficker, ten more people step up to fill the void.

Drug dealers are looked at in our society as Robin Hoods, socially acceptable criminals, even characterized as victims of our unjust society.

Our legal system has made illegal drug use a misdemeanor; in many states the sale of illicit drugs is a crime but punished with probation or small fines. It’s time we stop lying to ourselves and take a new look at how or if we wish to enforce the law.

Legalization has been tried in our nation, even in a few cities in Michigan. Illicit drugs of all types are available online and some, like Adderall, are widely used by many, the American youth in particular. Some drugs laced with fentanyl have killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, but that has not deterred use.

I believe there is no solution to the problem. Education that makes drugs “not cool” has worked, but only to a very limited extent. Harsh punishment has not been very effective, deterring only a small number of people; there is just no answer, so we muddle along as we have done since 1906. My opinion.