Christina Dent
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By Christina Dent | Founder & President, End It for Good
The latest Harvard CAPS-Harris poll finds “crime and drugs” are among the most important issues for American voters.
Since President Richard Nixon first declared a “war on drugs” in 1971, the criminal justice system has been the default for fighting drug use and addiction. But with 107,543 drug overdose deaths in 2023, it’s clear our current methods are not working.
That’s because drug addiction is a health issue — not a crime. As such, it cannot be cured by a system that is overwhelmingly designed to punish instead of heal.
For years now, most Americans have recognized that people suffering from drug addiction should be treated instead of jailed. They want real solutions to the problems they see, not leaders who double down on the failed status quo and its empty promises.
It’s time to adopt a health-centered approach to drug use in the U.S. that will adequately treat those suffering from addiction, reduce the burdens on our overworked criminal justice systems, and keep communities safer and healthier.
I used to believe that people who used drugs were bad — that they were criminals who lacked self-control and deserved to be punished. That changed when I became a foster parent.
One of my foster children, Beckham, was taken from his mother, Joanne, as a newborn because she used drugs during her pregnancy. I assumed that Joanne used drugs because she did not love her child enough to stop and that she could have easily quit if she only cared about being a mother.
Then I met her, and I saw her love for Beckham. Joanne challenged everything I thought I knew about drug addiction.
As I began more research, it became clear that drug addiction does not appear out of nowhere. It is often a result of unresolved trauma, PTSD or other emotional and mental distress.
I realized that incarcerating people like Joanne would only add to that trauma. Yet, that is precisely what we are doing. In 2020, for example, about 87% of drug-related arrests were for “mere possession” — not sale or manufacturing.
Not only are the conditions of incarceration often traumatic, but incarceration also separates people from their families and support systems, which are necessary for overcoming addiction. It’s hard on families, too. Studies show that children whose mothers have been incarcerated are at higher risk of developing behavioral and mental health issues. Incarceration saddles people with a criminal record for life, making it difficult for them to gain lawful employment.
Fortunately, Joanne was not sent to prison. She received specialized treatment and is now in recovery, helping others overcome addiction. Not everyone gets that opportunity.
It’s estimated that 63% of people in jail and 58% of those in prison struggle with a substance use disorder. Most go untreated — it’s estimated that 10% of people in state prisons who have substance use disorders receive clinical treatment.
People in prison are not just going without treatment; they are actively getting worse. In fact, studies show that drug use tends to increase after periods of incarceration and that incarceration also increases the risk of dying of a drug overdose.
It’s hard to break free of the mindset that people who use illegal drugs are synonymous with criminals. Even the CAPS-Harris poll lumps “crime” and “drugs” together into a single category.
The hard truth is that no matter how many people we incarcerate, drug use is never going away. We’ve had a five-decade-long trial of using the criminal justice system to manage drug use, to no avail. Decriminalizing drugs and tackling drug use from a health care perspective is the best way we can save lives and keep families together.
Ironically, involving the criminal justice system less will make communities safer.
At least 20% of police calls involve a mental health or substance use crisis, which police are not adequately trained to manage. Shifting these responsibilities to community-based health professionals will allow police to focus their limited resources on preventing and solving serious crimes.
Research also shows that the availability of substance abuse treatment centers in a community reduces local crime rates. Drug courts, which offer people treatment instead of incarceration, are also shown to reduce recidivism, with one meta-analysis finding a 24% decrease in recidivism for drug court participants compared to incarcerated individuals.
Because illegal drugs are unregulated, they have become deadlier than ever as drug traffickers attempt to make more potent drugs that pack a bigger punch in a smaller package, allowing them to better avoid detection while boosting profits. Regulating popular drugs, just as we do with alcohol and tobacco, would ensure substances are safer and reduce the financial incentive to participate in the underground drug trade.
To be clear — this proposed solution is in no way “lenient” toward drug traffickers and violent offenders. People who harm others should be prosecuted. It merely recognizes that we cannot incarcerate ourselves out of our drug problem.
What we are doing is not working, and it has never worked. It’s time to invest in modern-day solutions that will save lives.
Editor’s note: Christina Dent is founder and president of End It for Good. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
