A Personal Battle in the War on Drugs

My brother is a drug addict.

I’ve been told that’s something I should be ashamed of – that one is supposed to speak of such things in a whisper. There are a lot of emotions running through my mind, but I don’t feel ashamed. I know I feel angry, and while most of that is aimed at my brother, I’ve saved some of it for myself and a significant amount for the ridiculous government policies that have helped turn one person’s problem into something much bigger.

I’ve only recently begun to call myself a Libertarian. Although the label is new, it turns out that most of my instinctive beliefs were right in line with the Libertarian way of thinking – I just hadn’t realized it. And my instinct about drugs in this country is just one example.

In the back of my mind I always wondered why drugs should be illegal. How could the government, in its esteemed wisdom, not heed the lesson learned by the prohibition of alcohol? But really – who was I to question the all-powerful Feds? They had to know better than I what would work. How irresponsible of me to think that currently-illegal drugs should be bought and sold at the corner drug store. How so against my strict, conservative upbringing that would be.

Think of the number of people who would use drugs who don’t use them now. Think of the "drug bars" where people would go get high and then possibly drive home. Think of the cost to society of rehabilitating all these drug users when they regret having gotten hooked. Think of how different life would be – seeing advertisements for the best price on a gram of coke in your local newspaper, or needing to stock up on Ecstasy before your annual Christmas party.

Yes, that would be strange. But then I think about it some more. How would the gangs support themselves? Where would my tax dollars go, the ones that are now spent on the "War on Drugs"? What would the police officers do with less crime and all that time on their hands? What would the drug lords do if they’re forced to enter the competitive, efficient market as legitimate suppliers of a legal product?

In the past, these were all somewhat big, impersonal questions. I could think about them in the abstract, and mostly put them out of my mind. Now they’re not so impersonal any longer. I have a new, probably not so unique perspective, and rather than changing my instinctive beliefs it has strengthened them.

There’s the theoretical argument – that it is not the government’s place to make laws on drug use. That’s certainly true. But there is more to it. If only our government believed in and followed the physician’s maxim – "first, do no harm." Yes, drugs themselves are harmful. But it’s the illegality of drugs that makes them exponentially more of a problem. One doesn’t have to spend $200 a day to fuel an alcohol problem, but a drug problem can easily reach that level. And when one needs that kind of money, quite often one has to resort to theft to get it. This means that more people become innocent victims of what should really only be someone else’s personal problem.

I love my little brother. We grew up in a large, wonderful family, but he and I were especially close. When I wasn’t at my own athletic events, I was cheering him on at his. He’s lived with me off and on over the years. His only child is my namesake. He’s very smart and well-read, and has a great sense of humor. While he never made a lot of himself professionally, he’s the type of guy who will stop and help you if your car is broken down by the side of the road. But there comes a point when the only way to help someone is to stop trying to help him, and that time has come.

I don’t consider my brother a victim of drugs. To me, the term victim implies innocence, and while many mental health professionals will tell you drug abusers are the innocent victims of a mental health issue, I don’t agree. We have choices to make and the first time you choose to use drugs you’ve made your choice. The risk of addiction vs. whatever pleasure you may derive momentarily.

Dealing with this latest family drama has hit home for me in more than just the obvious way. While the personal concerns are first and foremost, it has also served as an important touchstone in my embrace of my Libertarian beliefs. For I can now stand up and truly say that I still support the idea that each person must be responsible for his or her own actions, no matter the cost. We simply can’t rely on others, especially the government, to prevent or to solve our problems. And if we do, we pay the price.

My brother’s addiction has cost me a great deal – emotionally as well as financially. I can handle that. But it makes me think about others who aren’t as well equipped to deal with similar problems. It makes me think about how our government’s involvement has turned the drug problem into a true national nightmare, and it makes me think about all the other nightmares that currently exist or are in the making.

I used to laugh at the saying "if having guns is criminal, then only criminals will have guns." That couldn’t be true, could it? Our government would prevent that, right? Now I realize it’s only partially true. Criminals will have guns, and people willing to deal with criminals will have guns, and so the criminals will have a lot of the guns and a lot of the money, and the rest of us will be unarmed and frightened. And I don’t even want to think about the tax dollars to be spent on the "War on Weapons."

This all drives home the many ways my thinking has changed recently, and the amount of courage I now have to stand up for my newly identified beliefs. I have to say the most fun part about my learning curve in the past several months has been laughing at my own ignorance. Talk about being brought down to earth. Each day brings a new revelation, a new understanding of the impact of the government on my life. I’m astounded, appalled, and at times even sadly amused. But I’ll no longer be apathetic.

June 11, 2003

Allison Brown [send her mail] is a financial officer in Maryland.

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