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From: rdz@ccice5.UUCP (Robert D. Zarcone)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Drugs & the free market: more facts for Robert Z.
Message-ID: <747@ccice5.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Mar-85 12:06:22 EST
Article-I.D.: ccice5.747
Posted: Mon Mar 25 12:06:22 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Mar-85 01:12:03 EST
References: <1002@phs.UUCP> <5674@ucbvax.ARPA>
Organization: CCI Central Engineering, Rochester, NY
Lines: 26

> 
> To get an idea of what the cost might be if the free market had a chance 
> to operate, consider the price of morphine.  Morphine is tightly controlled 
> but legal in the US for medical purposes, and costs abut 15c per 30 mg tablet.  
> Morphine is between 1/2 and 1/3 as effective as heroin, depending on the person,so in the worst case a 45 mg/day heroin habit could be maintained on 135 
> mg/day of morphine at a cost of 68c.  Let's allow for a 100% pharmacist markup
> (generous, it seems to me), and add 15c for the purchase of a disposable
> syringe (assume that's legal too), and we get a total cost of $1.50/day.

My argument for the high price of drugs has been based on a supply side issue.
I think that there can be high-priced items in a free market.  Granted, entry
into that market by many firms will probably exert downward pressure on prices.
But I don't think we can ignore that these prices will still be influenced by
supply of raw materials.
> 
> How many people steal to support a 2-pack a day cigarette habit?  How
> many people think the free market operates in heroin distribution?  How
> many people think it should?
> 
> --Barry

1. Not me, but maybe some of the poor and youth.
2. Me (and it looks like I'm alone on this net!).
3. Undecided.

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