Methamphetamine And The Wack A Mole Theory

Politicians and criminal justice types don't have to look very far today to be reminded that the Methamphetamine gravy train has long since left the station.  By 2005 only 10 States had not enacted precursor laws which, by controlling access to the pharmaceutical ingredients of meth, essentially knocked the legs out from under the home grown Meth Lab business across the country.  Lab seizures plummeted yet law enforcement officials, county, state and national politicians have continued to insist that meth was their highest priority despite a mounting body of evidence to the contrary. 

There is no question that methamphetamine is one, if not the most, highly addictive and potentially lethal substance being abused today.  Treatment professionals often privately say that while it is routine for men and women in their 70s and 80s to seek treatment for alcohol, prescription drug and even cocaine addiction, they are not likely to see methamphetamine addicts become senior citizens because they will be dead! 

It is also true that it is unlikely we will ever totally eradicate the use of any illegal substance that is abused and that there is also some truth to the "wack a mole" theory of drug prevention that as one substance is targeted and declines another escalates.  Indeed the "wack a mole" theory may be in play given the resurgence of heroin across the country as well as the alarming rate RX/OTC abuse nationwide that is now challenging marijuana for the top-spot in illicit drug abuse nationwide.

It is time for law enforcement officials and politicians to bring some balance to their prevention efforts and abandon their habit of demonizing a single substance while the rest of the moles get out of wack!!!!