Is Drug Culture A National Security Issue?

In a June 7 cover story, MSNBC.com profiled the sharp increase in the use of heroin as a result of a recent law enforcement crackdown on prescription painkiller abuse. Much of that story focused on the lives of a few central Ohio residents along with comments from officials about the growing drug abuse problem not only in Ohio, but nationwide.

Drug abuse is nothing new. But what has gripped the USA is an insidious additive lifestyle among a growing number of Americans. Drug abuse and related crimes, do not discriminate among cultures, beliefs, ethnic origins, incomes or place of residence. In fact, the story pointed out that drug abuse, particularly herioin abuse, is as prevalent as if perhaps the young man or woman living next door to you could be a drug abuser or former drug abuser.

What I find to perhaps be remarkable about this situation—this long-time “breaking news story” -is that it appears to be such an acceptable part of American culture and society. Americans not only encourage drug abuse, we as a society support it. As a leading point of evidence is our vast spectrum of marketing and advertising pharmaceutical drugs – some of which are the very ones fueling America’s drug addiction. Painkillers anyone?

A second point of evidence that America encourages and supports the prescription drug and illicit drug abuse culture is that government refuses to identify the matter as one of national security. And a third point of evidence is found in the absence of Americans’ demands to really put forth a meaningful nationwide effort to severely reduce the magnitude of the drug culture in this country. You certainly can think of additional reasons or manners by which America supports this overreaching and destructive drug abuse culture.

I do not have an ample answer beyond attempting to devise and implement a strategy that seeks to develop a new and meaningful caucus or national consciousness whose goal – perhaps similar to eradicating or severely limiting tobacco use in this country – is to severely reduce the scope and destructiveness of the illegal drug trade and culture. What are your thoughts?