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| Friend, Last night’s Democratic debate was a groundbreaking moment in presidential politics. For the first time ever, presidential candidates engaged in a serious discussion on the debate stage about removing criminal penalties for personal use and possession of drugs other than marijuana. Drug Policy Action, as the advocacy and political arm of the Drug Policy Alliance, strongly advocates decriminalizing all drugs and has been instrumental in elevating the issue to the national level. Decriminalization was brought up in the context of the overdose crisis. Last year, more than 68,000 people lost their lives to a drug overdose. It’s clear we need bold, new solutions like drug decriminalization that can save lives and deliver critical resources and information to the people most at risk of an overdose. Each year there are 1.4 million arrests for simple drug possession in the U.S.—it is by far the most arrested offense in the country. Decriminalization would reduce arrests and end the many harms that now flow from drug possession convictions, including lifelong barriers to employment, education, housing, and more. It would free up resources to be used in more effective, humane ways, including offering treatment. It would also reduce the stigma of drug use and make it less likely people will be afraid to seek treatment and other support. Decriminalizing drug use and possession is just one of the bold, new solutions to the overdose crisis that prioritizes health and safety for people who use drugs, rather than punishment. But the underlying causes of the overdose crisis are complicated and there isn’t a simple singular solution. We also need overdose prevention centers, which were briefly discussed on stage. Also known as supervised consumption services, these facilities offer sterile, controlled settings for people to use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained professionals who can intervene in case of an overdose or other medical event. They also provide health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment. We need access to drug checking kits, especially as recent increases in overdose deaths are driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is being introduced into the heroin supply without the knowledge of people who use drugs. We need drug education programs that are based in the philosophy of harm reduction. The Safety First curriculum is designed to foster open and honest conversations among teens, educators, and parents about drugs and drug-related risks like overdose. We need low-barrier access to methadone and buprenorphine. These therapies cut overdose death risk in half. But the stigma associated with drug use has blocked the widespread adoption of these life-saving treatment options, in addition to policy barriers that make both medications difficult for patients to access. We need candidates who are serious about reversing the overdose crisis with policies that help people, not handcuff them.
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