However, comma, using these items in the longer term (more than a few days/weeks) as a barter item may back fire. By the end of the deployment to FL, everyone knew I had the extra Cope and I found the leadership skill of several higher ranked individuals became quite lacking when they ran out of their own stash, and I found my duffel bag gone through on several occasions when I was out on patrol. After a few days or weeks when word has gotten around that you have these items, the desperate and weak that can no longer control their addictions are gonna use whatever means they can to get to your stuff. When drug use goes up, so do local burglaries and robberies, because people do what they can for their "fix." This may also apply to other items you store specifically for barter, but these two things are the biggest addictions in society and would tend to cause the most problems when they are not available. Again, my opinion based on personal observation.
That story proves exactly why tobacco and booze are valuable barter items. People will behave exactly the same for any necessary item, including scarce water, scare fuel, etc. If it is known that you own anything of value, then you will always be a target to someone. If your barter items are valuable to nobody but yourself, then expect to be totally safe with all your worthless goods that you cannot barter.
People are neither inherently good nor inherently bad. People just are.
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