Doing Well By Doing Good
Via To The People comes this story out of the UK:
A policeman alerted hundreds of families to the danger-drug Strawberry Meth - despite the fact it does not exist.
Pupils and parents at 80 schools in Oxfordshire were warned of the possible risks of the fruit-flavoured drug, also known as Strawberry Quick, by the unwitting officer.
The spurious alert came after the officer sent an email via a special system connecting police and schools without checking it with colleagues.
So it turns out there’s no such thing as Strawberry Meth – it’s an urban myth. Officer, you can always check Snopes.com first before forwarding spam and bogus emails.
Of course, British policeman aren’t the only ones spouting false information and nonsense about the War on Drugs. In the States we have something called ‘the Senate’ that serves that purpose.
From last April’s press release from Senators Feinstein and Grassley, touting their proposed legislation, the “Saving Kids From Dangerous Drugs Act”:
The legislation comes in the wake of recent reports detailing the growing trend of candy-flavored meth. According to law enforcement officers and drug treatment officials, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs are being colored, packaged and flavored in ways designed to attract children and minors. The flavored meth first appeared on the streets earlier this year, and is being sold to children and teens.
“This bill will send a strong and clear message to drug dealers – if you target our children by peddling candy-flavored drugs, there will be a heavy price to pay,” Senator Feinstein said. “Flavored meth – with child-friendly names like Strawberry Quick – is designed to get people to try it a few times. It’s all about hooking young people, and we have to stop this practice before it grows any further. So, this legislation will increase the criminal penalties for anyone who markets candy-flavored drugs to our youth – by imposing on them the same enhanced penalties applied to dealers who distribute drugs to minors.”
“New techniques and gimmicks to lure our kids into addiction are around every corner. Candy flavored meth is the latest craze used by drug dealers,” Senator Grassley said.
[Emphasis Added]
Looks like the capitol complex email system could use some decent spam blocking software as well.
I’m also confused as to the purpose of the policeman’s email to parents in the first place. Are Mom and Dad supposed to stick their heads in Junior’s room and say, “I know we told you not to take any methamphetamine, but that goes double for the strawberry flavored kind”?
Obviously not. I think more likely it, perhaps unintentionally, plays into Drug Warriors’ (and parents’) fears and misconceptions about ‘children getting hooked on drugs’ – i.e. Junior might get hooked on this stuff accidentally, without even knowing what he’s taking in the first place.
Reminds me of the lyrics to “The Old Dope Peddler” by 50’s singer-satirist Tom Lehrer – whose albums were never far from my father’s phonograph:
He gives the kids free samples,
Because he knows full well.
That today's young innocent faces
Will be tomorrow's clientele.
[Hat Tip: Drug WarRant]
