Press Release Libertarianz War on Drugs

Political Parties Chasing the Gang Vote

"History teaches us that wherever there is a great demand for a product and whenever government makes it illegal, then inevitably a black market will appear to supply the demand," says Libertarianz Deregulation of Health spokesman Dr. Richard Goode. "The price of the product rises dramatically and the opportunity for huge - and illegal - profits is obvious. Criminal gangs love the situation, making millions, making me wonder why Jim Anderton, Muriel Newman, and Craig McNair wish to reward gangs in this way."

Goode says that the continued calls to 'get tough' on methamphetamine manufacturers serve only to leave the production of 'P' in the hands of criminal gangs. "Every time a politician announces a crackdown on drugs, there are celebrations at gang headquarters," says Goode. "Legislating to give a multi-million dollar industry exclusively to one particular group is nothing short of an election bribe - worth an estimated 21,000 votes - and while the situation endures the number of gang members and affiliates will continue to increase."

Ironically, only the usually loony Greens have anything remotely sensible to say about 'P'. Nandor Tanczos proposes that education will reduce demand by enabling adults to make an informed choice about their use of methamphetamine. "True, of course," says Goode, "but Libertarianz says that taxpayers should not be paying for such an education." The Libertarianz party feels that the education Newman, Anderton, and McNair actually need is a history lesson. "In 1920s America, alcohol was made illegal by Prohibition. The result was the birth of organised crime; criminals jumped at the chance to supply the demand for liquor, the streets became battlegrounds, the criminals bought off law enforcement and judges, and adulterated booze blinded and killed people. Civil rights were trampled in the hopeless attempt to keep people from drinking."

"Today's war on methamphetamine is a re-run of Prohibition," says Goode, "a human catastrophe all over again. It is about time the government learnt the lesson of history, and put the lucrative trade in drugs back in the hands of decent, law-abiding citizens - where it belongs."

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