Drug Czar Speaks on the Milford High Informant Case
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 10:51 PM

Somehow I hadn't seen this before. The outrageous high school sting operation in Ohio apparently has received a hearty endorsement from our nation's Drug Czar. According to this article, the Drug Czar's reaction was: "I don't think there's any alternative. We've had 30 years of watching young people suffer. ... You can break the cycle. You don't have to watch kids die." No alternative? But hold it, isn't such a sting fairly rare? Doesn't that suggest that almost every education superintendent and high school principal finds an alternative? Why is the Drug Czar so unimaginative?

The Czar hasn't convinced everyone. The same article offers a slightly different reaction from a sensible citizen:

"There is no question drugs have no place in our school system, however, do they realize what message they are sending with such outlandish action? Every new student entering any school in Greater Cincinnati will be automatically labeled a narc and suffer the repercussions. What kind of Gestapo tactics are being employed to 'nab' a paltry amount of drugs? What kind of grandstanding nonsense should we put up with, leading handcuffed students out of school in front of TV cameras? Are their lives going to be sacrificed to create some sort of scare tactic?''

Paul Schwan, 56, Fairfield

Labels: Drug Czar, drugs, informants, teens

 
Off- and Then On-Topic: An Uncategorical Update
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 5:32 PM

A few days ago I asked about the difference between categorically denying something, and uncategorically denying it. Received a nice e-mail from John Holowach that contained a link to this William Safire article. The Safire article does not directly ask about categorical/uncategorical, but there is an implicit suggestion, seconded by Mr. Holowach, that "uncategorical" is not a word -- which doesn't stop it from being used, of course.

John Holowach is both countering the drug czar's office on cannabis and filming a documentary. His FAQ, too, is worth a visit: start here and click through.

Labels: Drug Czar, marijuana

 
Imprisoning Our Way to a Better Afghanistan
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 4:12 PM

While the rest of us were loafing over the Thanksgiving holiday, our drug czar was hard at work. Last Friday he published the results of his latest ruminations in the Washington Times. The issue: how to save Afghanistan from the menace of the illegal drug trade.

Now don't go jumping to the futility claim, that there's nothing that can be done, you naysayers, you. All you need is a little strategy, the successful Colombian model, and some US assistance:

It is by no means a problem that defies solution and the Afghans have already drawn up a national drug-control strategy. Colombia's dramatic progress against a pervasive narcotics trade demonstrates the power of credible, coordinated and comprehensive policies to reduce the destabilizing threat of drugs. The United States is playing a valuable role in Colombia's progress, and now we are prepared to assist Afghanistan fight its drug war.

Oh, and you need a five-pillared plan. The pillars include a public relations campaign, perhaps teamed with an amnesty, and support for alternative crops. The other three pillars? Interdiction, eradication, and prisons, oh my! "We will help the Afghans build a special narcotics prosecution task force and aid construction of judicial and detention facilities expressly for counternarcotics cases." Afghanistan only has some 28.5 million people -- who knows, it might be possible to imprison every Afghan. I doubt that there will be any resentment, because surely the public relations campaign will explain how we are helping.

Labels: Afghanistan, Drug Czar, opium

 
Advice From The Drug Czar
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 5:15 PM

Dear Mr. Walters,

Sometimes parents just don't know what they must do, as opposed to what they should do, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if they failed to do it. Is there anything that every parent must do?

Signed,

Trying My Best, But Need a Helping Hand


Dear TMBBNAHH,

It is imperative for every parent to regularly send the message that marijuana use is dangerous and unacceptable in their family.

With best regards,

John, Czar of Marijuana and All the Drugs

Thanks to Baylen at D'Alliance for the pointer.

Why limit your taxpayer-funded advice there, Czar Walters? Why not tell parents of America what religion they must endorse, or what political candidate? Oh, and by the way, I guess you, like the rest of us, only became such a success in life because your parents regularly sent you the message about the dangers of marijuana? Sure, dinnertime conversation becomes a bit repetitive, but it is worth it. Do you think that we could jail parents for child abuse if they fail in their anti-drug duties? Jes' askin'.

Labels: Drug Czar, marijuana, teens

 
Obligatory Link-Based Lazy Weekend Post
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 7:57 PM

Link (1): A friend (but sometime critic, alas) of Vice Squad brings us word on this Jacob Sullum column at Reason.com concerning the effort in Congress to ban flavored cigarettes -- even though all the cool kids are smoking them. Not to be outdone, Chicago Alderman Edward Burke and two colleagues introduced a measure to ban the sale of sweet-flavored cigarettes locally. (Here's the link to a Chicago Tribune (registration required) story: the cigarette bill is briefly mentioned towards the end.) It has been a ban-happy week for Alderman Burke: he also wants to ban video-stalking of the type that has hounded US Senate candidate Barack Obama. Fortunately Obama is more sensible: 'the nice thing about our society is that not all problems have to be solved by laws.'

Link (2): Overlawyered notes three recent judicial losses for the tobacco industry. Vice Squad mentioned two of them this week; the third concerns the verdict of a Louisiana jury demanding that Big Tobacco pay more than half a billion dollars for smoking cessation efforts -- though the verdict is hardly the final word on this case.

Link (3): Last One Speaks informs us of a new study that looks at the effectiveness of the Drug Tsar's anti-marijuana advertising. Looks like a political winner: while there isn't evidence that the ad campaign dissuades kids from using pot (and hints of evidence in the opposite direction), parents like it.

Labels: Drug Czar, litigation, marijuana, Prohibition, tobacco