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Papering over the meth problem
The Oregonian | 8/21/2005

The Bush administration's new methamphetamine strategy is a plan to fight little more than the perception that the White House does not take the meth epidemic seriously.

The administration trotted out three Cabinet members Thursday to say all the right things about the spread of meth. It offered up a token few millions for meth treatment and anti-drug ads. But it did not demonstrate that it grasps the extent to which meth addiction is fueling crime and ruining lives, or understands how meth, unlike other drugs, could be stopped through effective international controls on its principal ingredient.

If it were serious about beating meth, the Bush administration would be demanding more money for rural police and sheriffs, not proposing to cut federal grants to law enforcement in states that allow medical marijuana.

It would be moving strongly to tightly monitor the international trade in pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in meth and a chemical produced in only nine factories around the world. It would be leaning all over Mexico, which still allows the importation of far more pseudoephedrine that it has any legitimate use for, permitting tons of the chemicals to be diverted by drug cartels to superlabs that supply 80 percent of the meth in this country.

It is abundantly clear that the Bush administration is still not prepared to join Oregon and other states in a real fight against meth. "Pathetic," is the word Indiana Rep. Mark Souder, a Republican, used to describe the administration's meth plan.

At least the Bush administration, particularly Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, is now talking about meth and acknowledging that it is a severe nationwide problem. But its plan is mostly vague promises and symbolic spending -- an unfunded study of the thousands of kids pulled to safety out of meth homes, a paltry $1 million to spend on anti-meth ads.

You don't even have to read between the lines to see that the White House still considers meth a political problem, not a drug epidemic. There is no sign that the feds are prepared to go after meth the way they must, knocking hard at the doors of drug labs in rural America and the gates of Asian pseudoephedrine factories.

It is infuriating that so many people still want to waste time debating whether meth is more or less of a problem than marijuana, cocaine or other drugs. It is not marijuana or cocaine that is linked to half the kids sent to foster homes in this state. It is not marijuana driving an explosion in property crimes, especially identity theft. It is not cocaine leaving behind polluted homes and apartments that cost taxpayers millions of dollars to clean up.

We'll leave the question of whether meth meets the definition of "epidemic" to the experts sitting in think tanks and newspaper offices in New York and Washington, who have suggested Oregon and other states are "crying meth."

Meanwhile, the people on the front lines, the cops in the hazmat suits, the child-abuse workers who see meth kids every day, the drug counselors with the long waiting lists, will keep fighting meth with everything they have.

If only the federal government would join them.

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Murdock

Other Drugs are off topic here, no?

MrIMStoned

What does that have to do with pot?

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"In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality, was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense. And what was terrifying was not that they would kill you for thinking otherwise, but that they might be right. For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable what then?"

Higher Logic

No, talking directly about other drugs and making it the focal point (e.g. having an entire post about meth and nothing but its use) are off-topic. This is about the drug war, hence it's quite relevant. You are allowed to say off-topics, just not in a way that's inviting to its use. What I got out of the article was that the Administration should be focusing on a real drug problem, and not marijuana, and this is just another pathetic attempt to fix something that will go wrong...again.

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king cola

Meth is a serious problem but you know somethin, i see more commercials about people smokin pot than i ever see about meth which isn't right because this drug is probably the most dangerous drug in this country, but that attorney for the DEA claims marijuana is the most dangerous drug

 

cts006

I agree man Im starting to get pissed about those comecials spouting bull$hit about pot and how bad it is (stupid pricks) and I have never seem an add that was talking directcly against using meth, but they can tell us all directly not to smoke pot (stupid arogant pricks).

SkyTripper

The prohibitionists and politicians are eqivilent to ostriches with their heads buried in the sand over the entire issue of the "war" on drugs.
They just cannot and will not ever accept reality and truth and they just continue to place way too much emphasis and priority on marijuana cultivation, eradication and its use and possession. They choose to ignore PROOF of its medical benefits and lock up or destroy someones future by arresting them for using it recreationally and medicinally.
Zero Tolerance = Complete lack of compassion and turns people against each other. THEY are directly responsible for a gradual DIVIDING of the "United" States as a result of this "war" on their OWN people!
Then they try to get as many people as they can on their bandwagon and try and convince the masses it was the POT that wrecked somones future and job prospects......when in fact, it was THEIR draconian laws and persecution of those who they believe are just non-conformers to THEIR beliefs and ideologies. THEY ARE PATHETIC.....THEY lost this "war" a long time ago and THEY are acting out with the "sore loser" syndrome or something. Retaliation for THEIR failed policies from the Nixon-era.
THEY ARE A JOKE!
More Americans are aware of what a joke they are than ya might think.
Enough polls and surveys have already reflected the overall attitude MOST Americans now have about marijuana in general, yet the Government just does not wish to accept it!
Meth IS a HUGE problem in America and has been for well over 15 years.
Too little .....too late!
WHEN is the government ever going to catch up with the times?
Do they even know what YEAR it is?!
They remind me of old Rip Van Winkle.....been asleep at the wheel for 20 years and the citizens of this country have had to do the driving.
Or are they still trying to envision America as it was back in the 50s.....or actually believe THAT IS how this country should forever remain?
Leave It To Beaverland?!

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SkyTripper

hendrix

looks like you forgot to tell some of the mods that.

Higher Logic

The policy clearly states: there is to be no discussion of any other drugs whatsoever, their cultivation, their use, or their sale.

If I were to have a discussion about marijuana and then compare it to alcohol, that would be fine, because I'm not talking strictly about alcohol. The mods no this. Now, if I were to go into chemical composition and whatnot about alcohol, meth, cocaine, etc., that would not be kosher.

hendrix

oh ok, i just could of sworn i've seen atleast a handful of topics closed for simply just mentioning an off topic substance.. i could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time. lets smokempeace pipe?