The United States Insatiable Appetite For Illegal Drugs

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Mexico City Wednesday stating that an "insatiable" appetite in the United States for illegal drugs is to blame for much of the violence that has ravaged Mexico in the past year. Thousands in Mexico have died while rival drug cartels reportedly battle for smuggling routes and drug distribution territories. Wow, I agree with Hillary Clinton, almost.

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Mexico City Wednesday stating that an “insatiable” appetite in the United States for illegal drugs is to blame for much of the violence that has ravaged Mexico in the past year. Thousands in Mexico have died while rival drug cartels reportedly battle for smuggling routes and drug distribution territories. Wow, I agree with Hillary Clinton, almost.

(photo: Hillary Clinton – credit: Nrbelex) Yes, the United States has an insatiable appetite for drugs, but we are fooling ourselves if we think it’s only illegal drugs our next door neighbors are polluting our great nation with.

The reality is, drugs are drugs, whether smuggled or prescribed, and the sooner we stop pretending that’s not the case, the sooner we can collectively begin working on a solution. This isn’t about legalizing marijuana or arguing about the health risks in our cocaine nation, it’s about someone in United States of America leadership, who’s had enough of the war on drugs lies, standing up and saying “We have a drug problem in America, and today we’re going to do something about it.”

We have a drug problem in America, not just an illegal drug problem, can we begin to understand that? May I remind you of the stunning investigation conducted by the Associated Press last year (March 2008) that found Drugs in Drinking Water of at least 41 Million Americans? Which of the Mexican drug cartels would we like to blame for that? Must be the ones smuggling acetaminophen, ibuprofen, carbamazepine (an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug), estrogen, painkillers, epilepsy medications, and other pharmaceuticals across our borders.

But these are Schedule II Controlled Substances being smuggled into the US, and they can be dangerous and deadly, causing all kinds of problems for our over burdened healthcare system. You’ll get no argument from me there. Did you know that cocaine was a Schedule II controlled substance? Nasty stuff. Do you know what else is a Schedule II controlled substance? Methylphenidate (most commonly known as the brand name Ritalin) is a Schedule II controlled substance. Isn’t that the stuff prescribed for ADHD?

This is an old link, but in 2004, reports showed ADHD Drugs Outselling Antibiotics in Kids. I’m willing to bet that’s still the case. Remember, not all kids taking drugs like Ritalin are getting it from their trusted pediatrician, they’re getting these drugs on the schoolyard. Must be that insatiable appetite, or maybe we’re collectively Raising Kids To Be Drug Addicts (I don’t blame you – I’m in this too).

“Over 7 million children consume over eight tons of Ritalin every year in the United States.”That was a quote from 2003, printed in a Johns Hopkins newsletter, and now we have Target and Wal-Mart selling discount prescription drugs, bringing them to a consumer goods warehouse center near you.

“An estimated 5 million to 6 million U.S. children are currently taking at least one psychiatric drug.”I caught that quote in a 2002 article on drugs, and I’m betting that number has near doubled since. When more than half of all primary school children are taking drugs (not the kind smuggled in by Mexican Cartels) can we really be surprised at a US Insatiable Drug Appetite?

Whether the market be marijuana, cocaine, or drugs one can buy online without a prescription, the reality is Selling Drugs is Good Business.

planetc1.com-news @ 10:07 pm | Article ID: 1238044065