Dear Dr. Bill,

.....As an advocate of the necessity for the American public and, especially for its political leaders, to recognize the implications involved by stonewalling most efforts to actively fight to protect our nation's children from falling victim to the ravages of addiction. For most of our countrymen, addiction is looked upon as a "moral problem," resulting in the use of punishment as the major tool for the "treatment" of addicted individuals... it is for punishment and relatively ineffective interdiction efforts that most of the nation's antidrug money is allocated. By providing pitiful funding for the treatment of adults and affected children; and even less for preventative efforts which, so far, are not very effective, largely due to the failure to actively engage parents in the process. Lack of knowledge and parental disinterest is causing the disease to be passed on from generation to generation which, if unaddressed, will surely continue well into the next millennium.

.....In an an article which I excerpted in this column over two years ago in this column, the radio commentator, Paul Harvey told the story of a national disaster... about a nation founded by an industrious people devoted to the principles of moral responsibility and reason and, endowed with boundless natural resources, it became one of the most wealthy and enterprising nations on earth. However, with the passage of time, its people grew self-indulgent; accustomed to wealth and ease, they were ripe for exploitation of this developing weakness:
.....Headquarters were established for drug smugglers in a southern city. In time, via a web like distribution system, their poisonous drugs seeped into virtually every town and village, thriving under the noses of the politicians, judges and the police. Some intellectuals initially praised the psychic and medical benefits of the drugs, minimizing their harm. Ironically, they, with the rich and powerful, were first to succumb followed but the army and, lastly, the poor. In the final stages, addicts whom drugs did not kill outright developed infectious diseases which spread to their loved ones. This once great nation was so enfeebled by drugs that it finally fell victim to countries a fraction of its size.
.....Was Harvey describing an America about to enter the 21st Century? No, it is an encapsulated account of 19th century China ! !
.....In the early 1800's, China was among the wealthiest, self-sufficient nations on earth. It was governed for centuries under an ancient system of ethics set down by the followers of Confucius. It seemed nothing could bring it down.....except itself.
.....Western nations trading with 19th century China for its porcelain, silk and tea developed huge trade deficits because China, wary of outsiders, had no interest in buying foreigner's goods. That is until Britain discovered the Chinese secret taste for opium and began shipping it into the country from British poppy fields in India.
.....Opium was severely restricted by law but, as imports rose, some scholars and officials argued that opium should be 'decriminalized' and its distribution regulated by government. Others claimed that it was beneficial to a 'weary psyche' and cured stomach ailments.
.....Addicts smoked the tarry opium in'dens' not too unlike today's'crackhouses.' In its early stages, opium induced euphoria but soon left its users as burnt out husks of themselves unable to halt eventual dementia and death. Coughing and spitting opium smokers spread tuberculosis and influenza, as deadly then as AIDS is now.
.....Addiction raged through China's army and invaded civil service. Provincial administration declined, canals collapsed out of neglect disrupting vital transportation systems. Finally, recognizing the destructive effects of opium use, the Chinese government closed its borders to all foreign trade and destroyed the British warehouses in Canton.
.....England declared war, defeating an inadequately defended China. A beaten China signed a treaty settling the 'Opium War' of 1839-42 ceding Hong Kong to Britain which, like Miami, became the hub of the drug trade from which criminal societies joined forces with foreign smugglers to disperse the drug everywhere. By the end of the 19th century, 5% of the Chinese people were addicted--over 22 million people. Gold flowed out of the country, its economy on the verge of collapse.
.....In 1912, the last emperor, Puyi, was forced from the throne. China then floundered in the bloody strife of civil war and foreign invasion for almost four decades. Then Mao Zedong's communists crushed all opposition, killing 30 million people and forcing additional millions out of their villages onto communes. Mao did away with the opium problem by eliminating the users.
.....What can America do to avoid China's fate? No same human being would advocate Mao's bloody solution as we know that treatment of addicts can and does work. But we also know that tough drug laws alone and attempts to guard our borders have done little so far to solve our drug problem and that more of our kids are using drugs as our schools spend less on prevention and education. Particularly of apparently"clueless" parents and politicians. What should we do as awe enter the new millennium? The answer seems obvious to me but, is it obvious to you?.. or am I just "Preaching to the choir?"... a choir which may agree with me; which will make a New Year's resolution to stand up and "sing" with me but take no action.. Give me a call.. We can talk about "action"