Drugs a nagging, frustrating problem for cops, us
Mexican government officials believe vicious drug cartels in that country would be far less of a problem were it not for a huge demand for illicit drugs inside the United States.
It is easy to decry butchery south of the border, yet it’s more difficult to defend those Americans who can’t wait for the latest shipment of methamphetamine, opioids or the latest illegal drug of the moment.
Tribune reporter Andrea Fisher last week detailed arrests made 18 months ago in one of the region’s largest meth trafficking operations. Twenty law officers through the Russell Country Drug Task Force arrested the “kingpin” of the drug operation in a Great Falls hotel room in September 2014. That was just one of several arrests made in the wide-ranging drug bust, involving meth worth an estimated $17,000 to $20,000 per pound. The kingpin, later sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, paid about $3,000 per pound for the drug in California, authorities said.
The drug-dealing network was motivated by “pure greed,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley.
“I hope this wiped out a significant source,” U.S. District Judge Brian Morris said at the hearing. “I hope this provides more than temporary relief.”
“We live in the ‘Last Best Place,’” Cascade County Sheriff Bob Edwards told Fisher. “I think people here are good people, but the drugs are coming in.”
We applaud efforts by the undercover drug agents to battle the meth onslaught.
“The biggest drug we’re dealing with in Montana is meth. It’s almost omnipresent,” said Scott Schlueter, Montana State Crime Lab forensic toxicologist. “It’s not slowing down.
There are some positive aspects to the drug battle.
In one example, state legislation restricted the purchase of ingredients needed to “cook” meth, and it has made homegrown meth labs virtually nonexistent in Montana, according to Bryan Lockerby, administrator of the Division of Criminal Investigation in the Montana Department of Justice. That was a wise move, but in place of homemade meth came pure meth from Mexico and other locations. Instead of making it at home, users buy it from drug dealers.
Law enforcement has worked hard to fight the meth epidemic, but it must be discouraging to make one big bust and then see others take the place of those who go to prison.
Officials emphasize arrests alone won’t cure the drug problem.
“Our officers statewide are doing a great job,” Lockerby said, adding later, “There has to be more than the enforcement side.”
What needs to happen is reducing the demand for illegal drugs in the United States.
President Barack Obama announced new measures Tuesday to try to reduce demand for drugs such as opioids and heroin by expanding benefits for substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment. Drug overdoses from painkillers and heroin kill more than 28,000 Americans per year, and it’s no secret U.S. prisons contain many inmates sent away for drug offenses. Even giving away illicit drugs for free hasn’t worked well in Europe.
It’s a sad situation when millions of Americans will take meth, a drug that can end up making the user appear like a zombie, or other drugs that devastate the human body and fracture our society. Law officers note drug dealers are attracted to easy money and big profits, despite risks of getting caught, while users get hooked and can’t give it up.
We should be concerned about a country that has so many people who are looking for a thrill, depressed or so down and out that they don’t even care what happens to them. Addiction remains a huge challenge for Montana and the country, from dependence on alcohol and tobacco to taking painkillers and those with sexual addictions.
Unfortunately, until more effective ways are found to treat the root causes of addictions, our community and communities nationwide will continue to suffer the consequences of addictive behaviors.
— Tribune editorial board
Treatment gap
In 2013, an estimated 22.7 million Americans (8.6 percent) needed treatment for a problem related to drugs or alcohol, but only about 2.5 million people (0.9 percent) received treatment at a specialty facility.
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse, www.drugabuse.gov