DISORDER COSTS

by David Nuttle

Americans create their own illegal drug problems by annual purchases of over $150 billion for such drugs mostly smuggled into the U. S. These drugs include marijuana, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. We now have more than 96,000 deaths per year from illegal drug overdoses and 2/3rds of these deaths are caused by fentanyl. This deadly drug is mostly manufactured in the PRC (China) & provided to Mexican drug cartels to smuggle into our nation. The U. S. youth population, aged under 18, is now 73 million. It is estimated that 36 percent of these youth use or will use illegal drugs by the 12th grade in high school. In brief, Americans have created a massive market for sales of illegal drugs and illegal drug makers and dealers, worldwide are working to supply that demand.

The illegal drug trade causes harm from start to finish. Narco-terrorist groups force many farmers, in Columbia, Burma, Afghanistan, and other nations, to grow illegal drug crops rather than food crops. This is the cause of some food insecurity. Production of these drug crops is known to be hazardous and causes deaths. Transportation of illegal drugs has become more hazardous now that POTUS /Trump is directing our military to attack smugglers. A number of Americans have been killed because of acting to deter illegal drug operations. I had two friends killed in Burma, by a "Drug Lord" when they got too close to his opium operation.

As Americans, our big challenge is reducing our national demand for, and use of, the illegal drugs named above. More effective educational programs are needed to educate our youth on the many dangers of using illegal drugs. Drug traffickers need to be identified and soon punished to the full extent of the law, as well as having assets seized. Extensive covert operations are required to dismantle the drug cartels. Our youth and adults using illegal drugs need to have their use disorder cured so the national demand for illegal drugs will be eliminated over time. To accomplish this goal, a national harm reduction program has been

suggested by our medical community.

Under harm reduction efforts, there would be community treatment centers with support groups and drug mitigation medications provided under close supervision. The focus is on reduction, and then termination, of illegal drug use. The entire effort would be focused on compassion, dignity, and behavior modification. If such harm reduction is not effective in deterring national demand and use of illegal drugs, a viable solution must be found.