The Anatomy of a Drug Deal

Drug deals come in many forms and fashions and the drug of choice can be myriad of things. Today as I walked home I saw something that reminded me of the many drug deals I used to see go down when I lived uptown in Harlem. They were more often smooth, calculated and executed with speed and an expert slight of hand. The buyer was usually too happy or excited at the prospects of getting lifted or short on change and begging; at which point the dealer had to get crusty. The drugs were usually ferried to the buyer by any number of people who would just show up on the scene and sometimes the drug of choice was extracted from up under the wheel of some ususpecting person's car, or maybe they were suspect themselves. It was sly, sharp and quiet; but I would manage to catch all of the transaction. The buyer was soon off with the quickness, with high spirits and the dealer retreated to an assumed "just-hanging-out" pose, looking left and right. Then there are drug deals that aren't so apparent, like the drug deals made with doctors every day by drug reps who convince, guide and bribe weak doctors to prescribe, or give drugs that you think you need and more likely, that you don't need. Drugs that some of the populace might not have the guts to make the trip to Harlem to seek. These are the sophisticated drug deals, not made in the streets but at fancy restaurants, spas, lush vacations and they usually catch a larger web of buyers. And these drugs; more expensive and sometimes a little more potent. This system of doing business has made us into a society of pill poppers. Everyone is on something for what ever ill the drug makers have trumped up to fix. Because at the end of the day, drug companies are public and have to answer to their shareholders so sell sell sell, hawk, hawk, hawk and they send out their hand to hand combat dealers, the drug reps to ply the drugs to the eager doctors and sometimes desperate patients. Feeling down, dark and depressed, hey Zoloft or Cocaine, both should do the trick but which drug deal do you prefer?