How Drug Laws Ruin Lives

My friend is a trucker, cross country, long hauls. Four months ago he was pulled over for some minor traffic violation, agreed to a search, and the cops found drugs. Prescription drugs in one of those 7-day rectangular pill cases, labeled Sunday, Monday… His wife had loaded the pill case with his prescription drugs – he has diabetes and a couple of other problems – but the prescription bottles were at home, several states away. The cops did a “drug bust” on him, put him jail, took away his license, and finally released him with his license fully suspended. Four months to a court date. Meanwhile, his employer fired him due to his “drug” arrest. His insurance… gone. His income… gone. His ability to get work… gone. Meantime he is going through a divorce. And he had to hire a lawyer several states away, on top of his divorce lawyer.

Now he receives his sentence: removal of all licenses to drive for two more months: not even cars or motorcycles. He's glad it's not felony, but it is brutal nonetheless. He is required to surrender his licenses to the local sheriff, so he goes down to the sheriff’s office, and in the process of surrendering his license, he breaks and starts to rave about having no options left, except suicide.

Bam, he finds himself two counties away in a lock-down hospital. Another $800 per day. That was a week ago. Today he was released, full of hospital drugs and less than half coherent. He could only go a short while before he lost the thought completely. “I have to learn to talk faster, before I forget what I’m talking about”, he said to me on the way back home.

They gave him 7 prescriptions to have filled. We went to Walmart where they quoted him $900 for a month's supply. Off to Walgreen’s and the same price there. No insurance? No prescriptions.

I took him home to his apartment. I don’t know what he’ll do after he dries out from the drugs the hospital pumped him full of. I’ll check on him tomorrow.