I have written several times on the tradition of the “drug torching” in the landscape of the modern war on drugs. The public display of destruction of drugs is something that has become synonomous with the fight against traffickers and dealers around the world.
My general point of view is that a public bonfire of drugs is rarely anything more than a public relations stunt generally aimed at securing more funding for bureaucrats. It has been used that way in many (usually aid-receiving) countries around the world.
But here is one I had never really pondered over, until now - drug torching in the developed world.
I read today that Knox County in the US was having their very own drug bonfire. Half a ton of illicit materials went up in smoke under the watchful eye of the local Attorney General’s office with a press release sent around and video tapes made. Official statements by the local Serriff’s department bulked out the story.
Could it be that the drug bonfire had come to represent a legitimate form of psyops in the war on drugs?
Could it be that drug dealers and traffickers everywhere were shedding tears knowing that the mighty Knox County Sherriff’s Department was going to hunt them down and burn their livelihood wheerever they were?
Were cheers going up around Knox County from the resugently anti-drug community who could now openly cheer the efforts of their law enforcement?
In short, was everything I had ever written and thought about the practice of publicly burning drugs simply a cynical manipulation of a genuine attempt to combat the drug problem?
Or was it just time for the local Sherriff elections?
*sigh*
I guess I was wrong. Drug bonfires aren’t just PR stunts to get more funding.
You can use them as PR stunts for political campaigns too!