there is news that columbia has agreed to teach afghanistan
how to fight war on drug.

can a war on drug be won by stopping forcibly the growers?
No. their only livelyhood and lucrtive is to grow and sell poppy. they have been ding it since centuries,
even when islam says one shoudl not take drugs.

Beaides, the land and climate there is ideal for poppy crop. so, as long as there is demand for drugs, there will be some one who will grow it, evne at high risk, because there is high payoff.

so the real solution is to eliminate the demand.
supply cannot be stopped as long as there is demand.

who could help eliminate demand?
the vaishnavas preachers. HKs.

so, what are the ways to help the US gov. realize that
if Gov. funds HKs, to propagate krishna consciousness,
in US, they will win drug war.

any other thoughts or comments?

so, what are the ways to help the US gov. realize that if Gov. funds HKs, to propagate krishna consciousness, in US, they will win drug war.

It will not work because :

1. US gov. will not recognise Krishna Consciousness to combat drug problem. They are Christians and they will not accept non-Christian methods.

2. Even if volunteers go out into the world and preach Krishna Consciousness (which I can see happening), it will only make impact in small scale.

3. Even if it makes impact in small scale, you keep forgetting that people who take drugs are those who are running away from reality. They have social problems and you need to give them solutions to their problems in ways they can accept.

And finally,

4. Greed ... you cannot kill the supply unless you kill the greed of the people who plant poppy plants to sell.

And in this world, there are a lot of people who willing to sell their own souls to make a quick bucks, disbelieving in God and think they have only one life so why waste it in living the so-called "spiritual life"?

okay.

now please tell what will work.
remember, when there is a problem, there is (are) solution(s).

People from Krishna Consciousness can take to the streets in order to fight drugs.

But a few cautious steps must be taken :

1. Focus on victims of the drug addiction, not the sellers. This will prevent sellers from retailating. Go to drug rehab centres and offer help.

2. Start in each society - small steps, not big ones. Krishna Consciousness may have hundreds of volunteers but taking a small steps is important.

Clean the neighbourhood, fix things like parks, help the homeless bu providing food, reach out and listen to people with problems. All this are potential drug addicts.

3. Try not to use religion as basics of working. Some of them are Christians and I don't think they could like the idea of people from other religions coming to their lives and trying to "convert" them.

Yeah, I know they are doing the same in India, but you don't need to make the same mistake, do you? Stick to the goal - War against Drugs, not other religion.

4. Work with other religions if you have to. No harm, others may want to clean their neighbourhood but didn't know how. You can bring them in, use their support and clean the neighbourhood together.

5. If possible, you can approach school Administrative and ask them to allow teenagers (who are in age where they are assisable to drug problems) to come out like on Saturdays and Sundays to help out in cleaning out the neighbourhood.

Important thing - Take small steps in your own vicinity. NEVER forget the goal is combating drugs, not spreading religion.

Also, you may want to watch the movie - "Sister Act", by Whoopie Goldberg. Your question reminds me of that movie.

Sh!t ... just had a dejavu like I had wrote this to someone before ... >.<

yes. i agree.
however, all you talked so far is band-aid solutions.

what preventative solutions you would propose please,
that would cause people to just say NO TO DRUGS?

yes, start small, plan big.

what preventative solutions you would propose please,
that would cause people to just say NO TO DRUGS?

People will not get up and say No to drugs. Stop dreaming otherwise.

People who take drugs are people who are have problems in life. And as long as they have problem they will think of wanting to take drugs.

They are not rishis or Mahans, they are normal people who have normal people. You don't want medicine, you want miracle. This is Kali yuga ... miracle for all problems is destruction at end of Kali yuga.

<< People who take drugs are people who are have problems in life. >>

true.

<< And as long as they have problem they will think of wanting to take drugs. >>

now, think a bit on this.

is it not true that all have more or less problems?

is it not true that some cultural ways of living give more problems, and other ways give less or no problems?

i know many people who do have problems, but they do not take drugs. how you explain it please?

so, it proves that people can be drug free, even if they have problems. but there are ways perticualrly the vedic ways such that if you live in that style, yo do not get problems. so no problems, no need to think of drugs.

drug is not the only way to solve or forget the problem.

tell us if you could understand this.

so, there is a way.

i know many people who do have problems, but they do not take drugs. how you explain it please?

1. Forced solution - Some people are forced not to take drugs - Muslims are one of them.

2. Substituted solution - some people found substitutes for drugs - like estatic pills, over-indulging in sex and alcholol and etc - Christians and atheists (Yes, Hindus and some Buddhist also) follow this method. Drinking problems is common among Hindus.

3. Control drugs - some addicts are those who take drugs in form of control drugs, especially for conditions of mental state.

4. Some people have no religious principles but conditioned themselves through physical and mental exercises.

5. Spiritual people who overcome problems by method of spirituality.


So, if each one portion of above mentioned solutions exist in a society, then spirituality makes only 20% in solving drug problems.

Now, you are speaking of wanting to take this 20% solution and introduce it to the 80% of populations (who trying to cope with the drug problem in their own ways) as the best way available.

Why don't you tell me if you understand the situation you are facing?

serious and more prevalent the problem, longehr it takes to cure. any society will have some edicts.
what we want is more people free from drugs.

almos all HKs took drugs,
but they gave up afte becoming HKs.
so, they worked a solution as guided by prabhupada.