The problem with the drug war

... is that we're more interested in prosecution than treatment, more interested in appearances than getting at the real sources of the problem. That much shouldn't be news to anyone by now, but a recent NYT story highlights the ridiculousness of the whole thing.

So, meth is a problem. I'm willing to concede that, as I don't know a whole lot about meth. OK. So what do we do about it? Find those who are abusing it and offer counseling, while going after its producers? That might make sense. Maybe too much. Instead, let's launch a sting operation in which we get convicted meth dealers to entrap immigrant convenience store clerks, busting them when they sell sudafed and aluminum foil in one purchase. Makes sense. Oh, and our justification for why the convenience store guys just had to know that the items - the everyday, legal items - that they sold would be used for meth production? The customers dropped absurdly obvious hints that they were meth producers, including that they needed to do a "cook" and such. Now, my english are pretty good (and so probably is my drug slang), but I wouldn't know that meant meth production. Here's what one clerk thought:

"This is not even slang language like 'gonna,' 'wanna,' " said Malvika Patel, who spent three days in jail before being cleared this month. " 'Cook' is very clear; it means food." And in this context, she said, some of the items the government wants stores to monitor would not set off any alarms. "When I do barbecue, I have four families. I never have enough aluminum foil."

This whole business is straight-up idiotic. I kinda want to go buy some kitty litter and cough medicine just to see what happens.

... guess I have to add hair dye to the shopping list. Yeesh.