 8. The Drug War After Frank Potts molested an 11-year-old girl in 1982, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 1988, he was granted an early release, despite his parole reports warning that he was still dangerous. Sadly, the report proved prescient as Potts was arrested a second time, in 1994, after he molested another 11-year-old girl. Once Potts was back behind bars, authorities began searching his 40-acre property on Alabama's Garrett Mountain. Local rumors that there were bodies buried around the property had long circulated, and they were finally confirmed with the discovery of the remains of a 19-year-old man who had gone missing in 1989. The Ralph Mountain terrain impeded the search for more bodies, but authorities believed Potts had committed as many as 15 murders since his release from prison. Given that the parole report warned that Potts was high-risk, why was he freed? The Anti-Drug Abuse Act, passed in 1986, dramatically expanded mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, including marijuana possession. The act was a gift to violent criminals and sex offenders, who were often granted early release to make room for convicted drug users. Frank Potts was one such beneficiary, and his early release allowed him to enjoy a six-year killing spree. From education to nutrition to healthcare, this series has looked at how individuals are better positioned to make decisions regarding their well-being than bureaucrats and politicians. But this doesn't mean that people never make poor choices. Substance abuse certainly reflects poor personal choices, and many people look to the state to prevent it. But even policies meant to save people from their own reckless decisions, such as the war on drugs, often cause more harm than they prevent. For example, economist Mark Thornton has shown that by creating an incentive for smugglers to maximize the street value of their product, while minimizing its size, drug prohibition unintentionally causes an increase in drug potency. This phenomenon, known as the Iron Law of Prohibition, was seen during alcohol prohibition, as rum-runners found it more cost-effective to smuggle moonshine than beer. The Fentanyl Crisis is the most recent and most deadly manifestation of the Iron Law of Prohibition. Fentanyl, a cheap synthetic opioid, is now linked to nearly all overdose deaths, as drug dealers mix it with black market heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines. By contrast, legal intoxicants, such as alcohol and tobacco, though still dangerous, remain fentanyl-free. We all want our loved ones to make good choices, but when they don't, we hope they can recover and learn from their mistakes. The war on drugs has not only failed in its efforts to protect people from making bad decisions, but it has made those mistakes far deadlier, and it has allowed innocent bystanders to become collateral damage along the way.