Illegal drugs are pervasive in our society. Sometimes they come up in contexts that are unexpected. In Davenport, an alderman was shocked to find a man who lived in his home was recently arrested for allegedly dealing methamphetamine. The alderman was not accused of wrongdoing and he claimed he had no idea drugs were being sold out of his home.
The man who was arrested had been taken in six years ago by the alderman when he was a boy and homeless, suffering from a drug addicted. The alderman helped the him acquire a GED, drug treatment and counseling. The alderman had believed that he was making progress, but was devastated that his efforts had failed.
Drug addiction is an enormously complex problem, whether for an individual or for the thousands in Iowa who suffer from this issue. No one would argue that any drug addiction is a good condition to be in, but there is little consensus as to how to effectively deal with this problem.
The so-called “war on drugs” has been conceded by many to have been a failure. Despite billions spent and millions incarcerated, there are still millions addicted and the drug cartels rake in billions in revenue.
Treatment is more effective than incarceration but is more difficult and complex. As this case shows, even with help from someone interested in his welfare, this young man was unable to break the bonds of his addiction.
While he could be sentenced to jail for the drug felonies he has been charged with, incarceration is unlikely to prevent his continued addiction and may make it much for difficult for him to secure a job. If that happens, he may be likely to return to “friends” associated with drug use and spiral further into dependency.
Source: wqad.com, “Alderman answers questions about drug bust at his house,” Chris Minor, April 7, 2016
