You can hear it or see it in the news all the time. When cops bust a large drug ring, it generates a lot of attention. Drug rings are often sophisticated networks of drug dealers who distribute drugs in a widespread area. People who deal in large quantities of illegal drugs are known as drug traffickers. The process begins with one person responsible for manufacturing drugs. From there it is usually passed off to another individual responsible for importing the drugs. Often times, these are members of the same organization. Drugs are later given to a second level person who ultimately delivers the drugs to individual dealers who sell the drugs to directly to the user. The people who run these drug rings are living a lavish lifestyle and profiting off the drugs that they peddle. Some of the biggest drug ring busts we hear about occur in Florida. Florida is an easy point of access for the importation of illegal drugs. Individuals and groups will import massive quantities of drugs through the ports. It is simply a numbers game. There is simply too much commerce for every package to be searched. What happens when the trafficker is not actually selling the drugs, but is simply an addict in possession of a therapeutic amount of pain medicines? A quick "Google" search shows all sorts of news stories about how police have arrested drug users for trafficking offenses. The drug users ultimately face large mandatory minimum sentences. Some are able to cooperate and have the charges reduced or the mandatory minimum waiver, but most end up with substantial prison sentences that were intended for drug dealers. These busts usually a significant amount of police resources and yield little in the way of community protection. Prescription drug abuse is a problem all over the United States. In order to combat the problem, law enforcement has to go to the source. Unfortunately, the source is hiding behind a MD and a DEA controlled substances license. What use is it for the police to arrest an addict when they know who the source is? Low end users are so common that there is no way to arrest them all. The Bar in most states is self-regulating and has been delegated disciplinary authority. The various state bars do an excellent job of enforcing their own rules. The medical community is often not self-regulating and often times rules are not enforced. Many times doctors are allowed to enter into settlement agreements in malpractice cases absolving them of any responsibility and the matter is not taken any further by the licensing board. In order to effectively combat prescription drug abuse, the doctors need to start taking responsibility for their own profession. When cops bust a junkie, user faces a hefty sentence and often has no valuable information to give to the police. These vary from state to state and from country to country of course, but in general, sentences can run anywhere from 3 years to life in prison. They also face hefty fine and their families are inevitably affected. Busting drug traffickers is a high priority for not only our federal government, but also for state and local municipalities. It's essential for controlling the effects that drugs have on our society. The police can not enforce laws until the legislature makes them. If society is serious about prescription drug use, the legislatures need to pass laws targeting the doctors who are using their license to practice medicine as a license to traffic narcotics. The Law Offices of Michael A. Dye, P.A. is a criminal defense law firm representing individuals accused of drug charges, DUI and other serious criminal matters. The office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida. For more information, please call (954)745-5848 or visit http://AlcoholAndDrugLaw.com.