Monday, December 26, 2011

Simple solution to the national meth problem?

In the war on drugs, the one drug with the greatest externality is meth, it creates semi-intelligent violent zombie drones. Perhaps there is a simple way to use the web and cure the problem.

Of all the cures, probably the cure with the highest success rate is to pay meth users for bonafide clean tests. A lot of theoretical reasons why this should work, though maybe expensive. The therapy was tested in SF regions, where Pelosi keeps legions of gay zombie voters. Many of them stayed off the drug when paid for clean tests. Many of them began to think clearly. So here is the plan:

Business Model:

Create a web site that can act as an intermediary between meth addicts and friends and family. Anonomously, family or friends can propose a payment for clean testing. The business therapists discreetly contact the user, and without naming the donor, offer the deal. If accepted, the business therapists will conduct and bond the testing procedure and report results.

Philanthropists who are concerned about thousands of zombie Mexican drug dealers marching north now have a mechanism to cut back the domestic drug demand. I bet Bill Gates, with a million dollars and a bit of Pavlovian research could cure a good 20% of the meth problem in central Fresno, meth capital of the world, the city with 20 thousand deranged zombies on our streets.

Pavlov was a long time ago, but I remember some of the stuff

Like, if a family member has a recalcitrant meth relative, Pavlov would say, discreetly offer the zombie free money for a test, even if it is not clean. But offer a bit of a bonus the cleaner it is. You use a Pavlov schedule to outwit the drug triggers that the zombie encounters each day. The zombie will begin to actually think, if I skip one trigger, pass up one hit from the glass pipe, I get a few dollars more. The Pavlovian schedule would try to optimize that utility by variances in the rate of return. So the Pavlovian system woks like the economy, on the marings. It works on rats and politicians, if I remember, so it should work on meth zombies.

Think of the incentives from the zombie point of view.
The meth case can purchase the next batch of the stuff if they have money. But one sure way to get money is to lay off a day or two and show a reasonable test. Eventually we get to the point that the addict decides to skip the next meth cycle and double his testing take profits, and bingo, we have him hooked on money.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like it might work. I've met some rare individuals who are not motivated by money, though. But they don't use meth. They use pot.