If one or more people want to be foolhardy enough to use or share methamphetamine, why do we need to waste limited police resources and government money on finding and nabbing them, rather than letting them suffer their own consequences of using the drug, until they resolve to seek drug treatment? This and most, if not all, drug stings are misdirected uses of government and police resources.

In the foregoing context, police recently used a sting to nab now-former Fairfax City, Virginia, mayor Richard “Scott” Silverthorne for allegedly bringing methamphetmaine to share with men he did not know, for group sexual activity. Silverthorne resigned the week of August 8.

Were methamphetamine not illegal, this matter would only be newsworthy as to the dangerousness of methamphetamine, and as to any risks that such anonymous sexual activity — regardless of sexual orientation — might bring to the mayor’s discharging of his duties.

Methamphetamine’s being illegal, Silverthorne should not have used nor shared the drug anyway. Methamphetamine has been highly popular in the gay community for years, but that does not make it okay for a mayor to use such a dangerous drug.

Now Silverthorne is gone from the mayor’s office, and the Fairfax City police and city government in general likely will continue with business as usual in pursuing the long-failed and overly expensive “war on drugs” that focuses too much on arresting and punishing, rather than on public education, overcoming addiction and recognizing that violence by illegal drug dealers is rooted in the elevated illegal drug prices and limited supply that arise from drug prohibition.