Southwest Asia supplies the world with 48 percent of heroin, and Mexico 33 percent. Colombia provides 59 percent of the marijuana to the 20 million American smokers and 75 percent of the cocaine supply for 5 million habitual U. S. users. Tons of dangerous narcotics cross the U. S. Mexican border illegally each year. More than 70 percent of cocaine and marijuana enters our country from the State of Florida, which has a 1,300-mile coastline. It would be wrong to say that all drugs are bad, for they are not when properly used under the supervision of a doctor.
Drugs properly used can relieve pain, prevent infection and save lives in limited amounts.
But when taken too frequently they can destroy body tissue. Any drug can be dangerous depending on the dosage, the duration of use, its purity and many other factors. No drug in the world is completely safe, for it has the potential to hurt and harm. A good example of this is Morphine. It came into wide use as a pain killer during the American Civil War of 1861-1865.