This section offers a deep dive into the issue of drug decriminalization. To visit the main page for a quicker overview, click here. Otherwise, keep scrolling to learn more.
Why Decriminalizing Drugs, Investing in Health Matters
Americans want to decriminalize drugs. They know that arresting or jailing someone for drugs does not work. In fact, support for drug decriminalization is at an all-time high. A 2021 poll shows that 66% of Americans now support eliminating criminal penalties for drug possession and replacing them with a health approach.
Drug decriminalization means that people are no longer arrested or incarcerated for drugs for personal use. No longer enforcing personal drug possession saves money. These savings can go towards needed services and supports. This includes voluntary treatment, housing, employment, harm reduction, recovery services, and peer support. Drug decriminalization does not legalize drugs.
Problems Caused by The U.S. Government Prioritizing Drug Criminalization
Many elected officials prioritize punitive responses to drugs over public health approaches. Yet, criminalization has not made our communities safer or healthier. Drugs are more potent, available, and cheaper than ever, and overdose deaths are at an all-time high. Nearly 108,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2021 alone. At the same time, people are cycling through jails and prisons with limited to no access to services – and overdose risk increases after they leave.
The criminalization of drug possession is a major driver of arrests and pretrial detention in the United States. Each year, U.S. law enforcement makes over 1.5 million drug arrests – more arrests than for all violent crimes combined. The majority of these arrests are for drug possession only. Each year hundreds of thousands of people are in jail for drug possession, most while waiting to be charged and before they have even had a trial. Hundreds of thousands of people also remain under supervision, like probation and parole, for drug possession crimes.
Ending these arrests is the most important step we can take right now.
People convicted of drug law violations face lifelong barriers, including the loss of federal financial aid, occupational licenses, the right to vote, eviction from public housing, and denial of public assistance. A drug conviction can negatively impact every aspect of one’s life. It is time to remove the drug war from everyday life.
Criminalization stigmatizes drug use. It discourages people from getting the help they want. It prevents the use of proven lifesaving overdose prevention interventions. Currently, access to drug checking services like fentanyl test strips and naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal drug) vary by state and are subject to local laws. Access without a prescription can be illegal and subject to arrest.
The criminalization of drugs inequitably harms Indigenous, Black, and other racialized, marginalized, and low-income communities who are more likely to be stopped, searched, convicted, and harshly sentenced for drug possession.
Our country has spent billions of dollars arresting people for drugs. It costs nearly 20 thousand dollars more to arrest, prosecute, and jail someone for simple drug possession than to provide drug treatment to those people who want it. Instead of arresting and jailing people for drugs, we must shift those dollars to provide voluntary addiction services and other social supports.
Decriminalize Drugs, Invest in Health Services Across the U.S.
The time has come for states to pass more thoughtful approaches to address the harms of the drug war. Decriminalizing drugs while building health-centered alternatives is a top priority for the Drug Policy Alliance.
As efforts to decriminalize drug possession continue to gather steam, it is important to keep values in mind. Reforms must reduce incarceration, repair past harms, and refocus funding on improving community health and safety.
Comprehensive approaches to drug decriminalization must:
Drug Policy Alliance is also working on other aspects of decriminalization. This work focuses on removing criminal penalties for drug paraphernalia like drug checking supplies and ensuring people who use drugs have access to overdose prevention centers. Overdose prevention centers offer a place where people can be connected to support services and safely consume drugs under the supervision of a trained professional that can react in the case of an overdose or other health emergency.
Treatment must be voluntary.
As we shift from criminalization to a health approach, it’s important to note that not everyone who uses drugs needs or wants treatment. The Drug Policy Alliance believes that when treatment is sought, it must be voluntary, accessible, affordable, and appropriate. You can learn more about substance use disorder treatment here.
Benefits of Decriminalizing Drugs, Investing in Health Services
Comprehensive approaches to drug decriminalization can help to:
Portugal decriminalized drug possession in 2001. More than two decades later, drug use has remained about the same. However, arrests, incarceration, disease, overdose, and other harms are all down.
In 2020, voters made Oregon the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs. This happened via Measure 110 which ended criminal penalties for the personal possession of all drugs. Measure 110 is expanding access to addiction services and social supports such as health, harm reduction, housing, and treatment services. They are all funded with marijuana tax revenue and reinvestments from criminal legal savings for not arresting people for possessing small amounts of drugs.
Measure 110’s early outcomes have been powerful:
Criminalization is ruining countless lives. Join the Drug Policy Alliance in building a new approach that puts people first. Together we can decriminalize drugs and invest in health services.
Sehemu hii inatoa kuzama kina katika suala la decriminalization madawa ya kulevya. Kutembelea ukurasa kuu kwa ajili ya muhtasari wa haraka, bonyeza hapa. Vinginevyo, endelea kutafakari ili kujifunza zaidi. Kwa nini Decriminalizing Dawa za Kulevya, Uwekezaji katika Masuala ya Afya Wamarekani wanataka decriminalize dawa za kulevya. Wanajua kwamba kumkamata au kumfunga mtu gerezani kwa sababu ya dawa za kulevya hakufanyi kazi. Kwa kweli, utegemezo wa kuondolewa kwa uhalifu wa dawa za kulevya uko kwenye kiwango cha juu zaidi. Uchunguzi wa mwaka 2021 unaonyesha kuwa 66% ya Wamarekani sasa wanaunga mkono kuondoa adhabu za jinai kwa kumiliki dawa za kulevya na kuzibadilisha na mbinu ya afya. Kuondoa uhalifu wa dawa za kulevya humaanisha kwamba watu hawashikiliwa tena au kufungwa kwa sababu ya dawa za kulevya kwa matumizi ya kibinafsi. Kutokuwa na sheria ya kulazimisha watu kuwa na dawa za kulevya huokoa pesa. Akiba hii inaweza kwenda kwa ajili ya huduma na msaada unaohitajika. Hii inajumuisha matibabu ya hiari, makazi, ajira, kupunguza madhara, huduma za kupona, na msaada wa wenzao. Kupunguza uhalifu wa dawa za kulevya hakuruhusu dawa za kulevya ziwe halali. Serikali ya Marekani inatoa kipaumbele kwa uhalifu wa dawa za kulevya: Maafisa wengi waliochaguliwa wanatoa kipaumbele kwa majibu ya adhabu kwa dawa za kulevya juu ya mbinu za afya ya umma. Hata hivyo, uhalifu haujaleta usalama au afya katika jumuiya zetu. Dawa za kulevya zina nguvu zaidi, zinapatikana kwa urahisi, na ni za bei nafuu kuliko wakati mwingine wowote, na vifo vya watu wanaopoteza kiasi kikubwa cha dawa za kulevya vimeongezeka sana. Karibu Wamarekani 108,500 walikufa kutokana na matumizi ya dawa za kulevya kupita kiasi mwaka 2021 pekee. Wakati huo huo, watu wanasafiri kwa baiskeli kupitia magereza na magereza na upatikanaji mdogo au hakuna huduma <unk> na hatari ya overdose inaongezeka baada ya kuondoka. Uhalifu wa kumiliki dawa za kulevya ni kichocheo kikuu cha kukamatwa na kizuizini kabla ya kesi nchini Marekani. Kila mwaka, polisi wa Marekani hukamata watu zaidi ya milioni 1.5 kwa sababu ya madawa ya kulevya - idadi kubwa zaidi ya watu wanaokamatwa kwa sababu ya uhalifu wote wenye jeuri pamoja. Wengi wa watu hao wanakamatwa kwa sababu ya kumiliki dawa za kulevya tu. Kila mwaka mamia ya maelfu ya watu hufungwa gerezani kwa sababu ya kuwa na dawa za kulevya, wengi wao wakiwa wakisubiri kushtakiwa na hata kabla hawajafikishwa mahakamani. Mamia ya maelfu ya watu pia wanabaki chini ya usimamizi, kama vile probation na parole, kwa uhalifu wa kumiliki dawa za kulevya. Kukomesha kukamatwa ni hatua muhimu zaidi ambayo tunaweza kuchukua sasa hivi. Watu waliohukumiwa kwa ukiukaji wa sheria za dawa za kulevya wanakabiliwa na vizuizi vya maisha, ikiwa ni pamoja na kupoteza msaada wa kifedha wa shirikisho, leseni za kazi, haki ya kupiga kura, kufukuzwa kutoka kwa makazi ya umma, na kukataliwa msaada wa umma. Hukumu ya madawa ya kulevya inaweza kuathiri vibaya kila sehemu ya maisha ya mtu. Ni wakati wa kuondoa vita dhidi ya dawa za kulevya katika maisha ya kila siku. Uhalifu hufanya matumizi ya dawa za kulevya yawe ya aibu. Inawazuia watu wasipate msaada wanaotaka. Inazuia matumizi ya hatua zilizothibitishwa za kuzuia matumizi ya dawa za kulevya kupita kiasi ambazo huokoa uhai. Kwa sasa, upatikanaji wa huduma za kuangalia dawa kama vipande vya mtihani wa fentanyl na naloxone (dawa ya kugeuza overdose ya opioid) hutofautiana kulingana na jimbo na inategemea sheria za mitaa. Upatikanaji bila dawa ya kulevya waweza kuwa kinyume cha sheria na unaweza kukamatwa. Uhalifu wa dawa za kulevya unawaumiza wenyeji, weusi, na jamii nyingine za rangi, zilizotengwa, na za mapato ya chini ambao ni uwezekano mkubwa wa kusimamishwa, kutafutwa, kuhukumiwa, na kuhukumiwa vikali kwa kumiliki dawa za kulevya. Nchi yetu imetumia mabilioni ya dola kukamata watu kwa madawa ya kulevya. Inagharimu karibu dola elfu 20 zaidi kumkamata, kumshtaki, na kumfunga mtu kwa kuwa na dawa za kulevya kuliko kutoa matibabu ya dawa za kulevya kwa watu wanaotaka. Badala ya kuwafunga watu kwa madawa ya kulevya, tunapaswa kuhamisha dola hizo kutoa huduma za kujitolea za ulevi na msaada mwingine wa kijamii. Dk. de-criminalize madawa ya kulevya na uwekezaji katika huduma za afya nchini Marekani Wakati umefika kwa mataifa kupitisha mbinu za kufikiri zaidi za kushughulikia madhara ya vita vya dawa za kulevya. Kuondoa uhalifu wa dawa za kulevya wakati wa kujenga mbadala wa afya ni kipaumbele cha juu kwa Muungano wa Sera ya Dawa. """Kama juhudi za kuondoa udhalilishaji wa dawa za kulevya zinaendelea kukusanya mvuke, ni muhimu kuweka maadili akilini." "Mabadiliko lazima yapunguze ufungwa, kurekebisha madhara ya zamani, na kuelekeza fedha kwenye kuboresha afya na usalama wa jamii. """ Mipango ya kuondoa dawa za kulevya ni muhimu kwa nchi za Ulaya, na Umoja wa Sera za Dawa za Kulevya (DPA) ni moja ya nchi zinazoongoza katika kuondoa dawa za kulevya. Kazi hii inazingatia kuondoa adhabu za jinai kwa vifaa vya dawa za kulevya kama vile vifaa vya kuangalia dawa za kulevya na kuhakikisha watu wanaotumia dawa za kulevya wana upatikanaji wa vituo vya kuzuia overdose. Vituo vya kuzuia overdose hutoa mahali ambapo watu wanaweza kuunganishwa kwa huduma za msaada na kutumia dawa salama chini ya usimamizi wa mtaalamu aliyezoezwa ambaye anaweza kuitikia katika kesi ya overdose au dharura nyingine ya afya. Matibabu lazima yawe ya hiari. Tunapobadilisha kutoka kwa uhalifu hadi mbinu ya afya, ni muhimu kutambua kwamba si kila mtu anayetumia dawa za kulevya anahitaji au anataka matibabu. Muungano wa Sera za Dawa unaamini kwamba wakati matibabu yanatafuta, lazima iwe ya hiari, inapatikana, ya bei nafuu, na sahihi. Unaweza kujifunza zaidi kuhusu matibabu ya ugonjwa wa matumizi ya dawa hapa. Utoaji wa dawa za kulevya ni hatua muhimu ya kuondoa udhalilishaji wa dawa za kulevya nchini Ureno, ambayo ilifanya kuwa kinyume cha sheria ya udhalilishaji wa dawa za kulevya mnamo 2001. Zaidi ya miongo miwili baadaye, matumizi ya dawa za kulevya yamebaki sawa. Hata hivyo, kukamatwa, kufungwa gerezani, magonjwa, kutumia dawa nyingi kupita kiasi, na madhara mengine yamepungua. Oregon ni jimbo la kwanza nchini Marekani kuondoa sheria ya kuhifadhi dawa za kulevya. Hatua ya 110 ilifanywa kwa kuondoa adhabu za jinai kwa kuwa na dawa za kulevya. Hatua ya 110 ni kupanua upatikanaji wa huduma za kulevya na msaada wa kijamii kama vile afya, kupunguza madhara, makazi, na huduma za matibabu. "Wote wanafadhiliwa na mapato ya kodi ya bangi na uwekezaji kutoka kwa akiba ya kisheria ya jinai kwa kutowakamata watu kwa kumiliki kiasi kidogo cha dawa za kulevya. """ "Mtazamo wa kwanza wa hatua ya 110 umekuwa na matokeo makubwa: ""Uhalifu unaharibu maisha mengi.""" Kujiunga na Muungano wa Sera ya Dawa katika kujenga mbinu mpya ambayo huweka watu kwanza. Pamoja tunaweza kuondoa uhalifu wa dawa za kulevya na kuwekeza katika huduma za afya.