Dennis Mays and I owned a training business for twenty-five years. He did a better job
of explaining legal issues to police officers then anyone I ever heard.

One of the points he emphasized was the importance of officers correctly explaining
what actions they had taken or observations they had made. He would write on the board,
“What matters is how you ‘splain it.”

For those who are not fortunate enough to have lived in West Tennessee long, “splain”
is short for “explain.”

I thought about his lessons when I began hearing news stories describing programs
some areas of the country use to try and stem the tide of substance abuse. These “wellness and life support” programs utilize vending machines in public places to give away certain products.

One of the products is Narcan, which may keep a person alive after a drug overdose.
Enhanced emergency response is great. None of us wants to see someone die from substance
abuse.

Another item freely dispensed is condoms. The theory is that young people will have sex
anyway, and maybe condoms will keep them from having a child too early in life.

Some believe easy access to Narcan may encourage the use of illicit drugs by giving
users a false sense of protection. Totally relying on access to condoms to prevent pregnancy
may lead to a relaxed attitude toward safe sex.

Now they dispense free “crack pipes.” There is no other use for a crack pipe other than
smoking crack, meth, or some other illegal substance. At least with the other two products,
somebody can argue that there may be redeeming qualities.

But, a crack pipe?

I don’t think even Dennis could ‘splain this one.

Jim Leach is a career law enforcement officer, and the author of, “Murder is a Tough
Business” available at booksbyleach.com