--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every hour spent investigating a drug…" description: "\"Every hour spent investigating a drug user or seller is an hour that could have been used to find a missing child.\" — Randy Barnett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/randy-barnett-72374_children_every-hour-spent-investigating-a-drug-us_913272.jpg" --- # Every hour spent investigating a drug user or seller is an… ![“Every hour spent investigating a drug user or seller is an hour that could have been used to find a missing child.” quote by Randy Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/randy-barnett-72374_children_every-hour-spent-investigating-a-drug-us_913272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/randy-barnett-72374_children_every-hour-spent-investigating-a-drug-us_913272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/randy-barnett-72374_children_every-hour-spent-investigating-a-drug-us_913272.jpg) > “Every hour spent investigating a drug user or seller is an hour that could have been used to find a missing child.” [Randy Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-barnett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing law‑enforcement resources on drug crimes diverts attention from urgent child‑safety cases. **In simple terms:** Focusing on drugs can neglect missing‑child investigations. Key Takeaway Balance enforcement priorities. Themes public policy justice child safety Mood concerned urgent Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - police work - social services - community safety - advocacy Key Concepts resource allocation risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - How should limited resources be allocated? - What criteria determine urgency? A Different Perspective Neglecting drug issues can perpetuate broader societal harms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Could have been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could-have-been/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-prohibition/) [Drug User](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-user/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Hour Spent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hour-spent-1355788/) [Hour Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hour-used-1355786/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Investigating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investigating/) [Investigating Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investigating-drug-1355785/) [Missing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missing/) [Missing Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missing-child-566757/) [Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition/) [Restitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restitution/) [Sellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sellers/) [Spent Investigating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spent-investigating-1355787/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Users](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/users/) ## Related quotes > [Every dollar spent to punish a drug user or seller is a dollar that cannot be spent collecting restitution from a robber. 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It was meaningful, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelheid-manefeldt/he-lived-a-quiet-existence-where-the-future-was-easy-to-predict-and/) [Adelheid Manefeldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adelheid-manefeldt/) > [Eight generations of African-Americans are still waiting to achieve their rights - compensation and restitution for the hundreds of years during which they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/eight-generations-of-african-americans-are-still-waiting-to-achieve/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) ## More by Randy Barnett > [I typically don't use the distinction 'positive' and 'negative' liberty, because negative sounds bad and positive sounds good, and I don't think that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-barnett/i-typically-don-t-use-the-distinction-positive-and-negative-liberty/) [Randy Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-barnett/) > [Given her lack of experience, does anyone doubt that Ms. Miers's only qualification to be a Supreme Court justice is her close connection to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-barnett/given-her-lack-of-experience-does-anyone-doubt-that-ms-miers-s-only/) [Randy Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-barnett/) > [Every dollar spent to punish a drug user or seller is a dollar that cannot be spent collecting restitution from a robber. 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