Our government has conceived a hypocritical and wasteful solution to the nation's drug problem. It squirms, crawls and eats all day.

The Bush administration plans to create genetically engineered caterpillars to munch away South American coca-plant crops -- the raw material for cocaine -- thereby eliminating our hemisphere's drug woes.

Already the government has sunk $1.5 million into researching this form of biological warfare, and an additional $5 million is slated for further study.

The White House assured us that "neither troops nor caterpillars will go in without prior request and consultation." But officials from Bolivia and Peru, which supply the vast majority of the world's coca leaves, do not appear to favor the plan.

As one Bolivian labor leader stated, sending in the caterpillars would demonstrate the United States' lack of political will to help solve the social and economic problems of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

This narrow proposal attempts to solve the drug problem by curbing the supply of drugs. But while a demand exists, people will continue to do drugs. Instead of attacking the supply, which is probably insurmountable, the government needs to target the demand side of the problem.

each country has its own problems and can cope with them best using their own methods. These South American nations have not asked us to invest millions in a way to destroy their crops. Furthermore, Bolivia has rejected the use of chemical agents to destroy coca crops and is expected also to reject biological means for environmental reasons.

Imagine Colombia investing in a slash-and-burn program to kill marijuana plants hidden in corn fields in upstate New York. The coca-eating caterpillar should seem as unlikely a scenario.

Although we have become more skilled at tampering with nature, the government can still take a lesson from history. The gypsy moth was brought from France to cross with the silk worm and create a moth that could mass-produce quality silk. Gypsy moth larvae, however, escaped around 1869 from the experiment in Medford, Mass., and about 10 years later began visibly harming forests.

Today, not only have we already taken enthusiastic steps to destroy the livelihood of the South American coca farmer, we have flexed our imperialistic muscle with a maniacal munching menace.

It takes people to solve a problem created by people, not insects. Chew on that one for awhile.