A famous line quoted by President Reagan in the 1980’s that
became a slogan for the DARE program. While it sounded good in theory, we all
know that addiction, left untreated, is stronger than any slogan.
What was the reaction to those who couldn’t say no? Harsh
drugs laws that sent them to prison over treatment. Black faces, crack babies and out of control
inner cities were the face of what became the war on drugs. Congress made it legal to send a person to
prison longer for possession of crack vs. cocaine. While part of the intention
might have been to reach those selling drugs, the casualties included low-level
offenders who made a decision to carry a package for a few dollars or who were
in fact in need of rehabilitation over punishment.
I struggle with hearing about the opioid crisis in 2017 for a few reasons. As acknowledged before, addiction is real. Those who are seeking help should absolutely receive it to better themselves. It will ultimately stop the overcrowding of jails and the feeding into a system that for the most part is missing the rehabilitation and correction it claims to provide.
Fast forward to 2017, the language is even different. The narrative now is about seemly innocent people who got caught up. The narrative now describes addicts who were prescribed legal painkillers for work-related injuries and post-surgery, and after that ran out, they turned to cheaper and more accessible drugs such as heroin. Pictures of them smiling in their high school yearbooks are blasted across the screen. In contrast, the drug epidemic of 80’s does not extend so much grace to those addicts, their parental status or their lives before addiction. What happened to just say no now?
President Obama and his administration acknowledged the disparities in drug laws and made adjustments. He even commuted a record number of sentences for those convicted under those laws, offering new opportunities to the formerly incarcerated. Even with that small glimmer of hope, the current attorney general’s directive threatens the reform that had bipartisan support. A directive from his office states that prosecutors should seek mandatory minimum sentences for any drug-related crime, showing support for punishment over treatment.
Clearly, those in favor or treating drug addiction with jail
just don’t understand what it will really take to combat the issue. However, it is possible they do, but again, grace
only goes so far in under politicians who believe in a “law and order” type of
county. My take? Let’s help any and
every person battling addiction who asks for it and end the criminalization of addiction.
