Off The Editor’s Desk – 6-14-2017

Drug abuse – let’s eradicate it!

We have a big problem with illegal drug use here in the United States and if you think it is just somewhere else, think again. It is here, right in our back yard and on our streets and local homes.

Recently, a Boyceville woman was arrested for the fourth time on drug charges. I am sure that this is not the end of her troubles with the law over her use and sale of drugs. According to the story she is accused of selling methamphetamine at $70 per gram and when she was arrested, authorities recovered 84 grams of the stuff. That has a street value of some $5,880.

And, if you think it is just a single issue, it is not. In St. Croix County Circuit Court activity from May 8 through May 22, the court heard some 66 cases and of those, 30 were drug related cases. It’s all around us.

According to an article I found on the Internet, 23.1 million Americans need treatment for illicit substance or alcohol abuse. That is over nine percent of the population. That means if you are in a group of ten or eleven people, one of you has a problem with illicit substance or alcohol abuse.

I am sure that we all know of friends, relatives or neighbors that have been impacted by drugs or alcohol and what heartaches that can cause a family.

We have strong laws about selling and delivering drugs. On February 5, 2017 a man from Anoka, Minnesota was arrested in Ashland, Wisconsin after he provided almost two pounds of methamphetamine to an individual there. He was found guilty on June 6th in Madison for the crime and is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for August 31st and is facing a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

Apparently strong laws are not the answer. I could suggest more education to keep people off drugs might help. I have also heard a suggestion that we legalized drugs and in that way we can control and tax them and take the organized crime element out of the drug business. That sounds great, but I don’t like that idea, nor do I like that some states have legalized marijuana, that only lets individuals use it and that is just a step into harder drugs.  

Fortunately Wisconsin is the home to many top rated inpatient treatment programs for addiction. If you need help, or know someone that needs help, please give this number a call to discuss treatment options: 1-877-476-2182. It will be answered 24 hours a day.

Thanks for reading!     ~Carlton