One of the leading Croatian newspapers discusses today a recent debate in the parliament concerning drug abuse across the country. And Istria leads the pack. All available statistics point to the peninsula as the most drug-infested region in Croatia. I skimmed the article as quickly as I could, for it is teeming with idiotic comments from the members of the parliament, but I found not a word about the connection between economic development and drug abuse. In other words, the more developed a place, the larger the number of drug addicts that inhabit it. Period. It is a simple law, but it appears to have escaped the Croatian lawgivers. Put simply, there is no surprise that Istria, as the most developed region in Croatia, is also the one with the bulk of drug-abuse problems. Yes, economic development comes at a cost. Among the unintended consequences of increasing wealth is increasing drug abuse. A quick look at America and Northwestern Europe is sufficient to prove the point, and there are statistics galore. But try telling any of this to the idiots in the Croatian parliament…