It’s become quite evident that the United States has a drug problem. In 2014, 17 million Americans suffered from an alcohol use disorder, and 25.5% of Americans 12 and up were users of tobacco. 913,000 Americans had a stimulant use disorder because of cocaine abuse, 569,000 Americans had a stimulant disorder due to methamphetamines, and 246,000 Americans were reported to be using hallucinogens. These numbers are people. They also overlap. People can abuse one drug, or they can abuse many. But once they start, it’s hard to stop, and locking them away in hopes that they learn their lesson is an irresponsible and inappropriate response to such an epidemic.
We tend to treat drug addiction as a crime, or we choose to ignore it. Those that cannot be ignored are put in jail, a simple solution for a quite complicated problem. When we treat addicts as criminals, we don’t get them the help they need. Nearly 50% of jail and prison inmates are clinically addicted, and 95% of those addicted will return to drug abuse after prison. We cannot help them recover by punishing them. We cannot help them lead healthy lives by ignoring the damage that drugs do to both the physical and mental health of an individual.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, substance use disorders “…occur when the recurrent use of alcohol and/or drugs causes clinically and functionally significant impairment, such as health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home”. People with mental health disorders are already more likely to battle substance abuse than those without, and those without who do battle substance abuse will undoubtedly develop one as their addiction gets worse.
This is not a problem that can be solved in a jail cell. Those who battle with substance abuse need counseling, they need programs to get them on their feet. Furthermore, making addiction a criminal activity makes rehabilitation programs far less attractive. Even if someone were to recover, they have this “crime” on their record; and we all know employers run for the hills if they see jail time, let alone for drugs. The stigma around addiction and substance abuse will only prevent people from getting better.
Portugal once had what was among the worst drug problems on the planet. When they shifted the focus to one of public health, instead of crime, they’ve reversed that trend of rising usage and abuse. Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001, and those who were found with drugs were supplied with resources to help them combat their addiction instead of being arrested. Their “dissuasion commissions” included lawyers, doctors, and social workers who together helped those in need of moral and medical assistance. Since decriminalizing all drugs, Portugal has seen the number of drug related deaths drop significantly, and the number of adults doing drugs in Portugal has decreased significantly.
If other countries can treat drug problems with solutions other than incarceration, America should be able to. In treating drug abuse as a crime, the country fails to help those who truly need it. Drug related deaths were at an all time high in 2015, at over 50,000. Unless we want this number to go up, we need to start implementing better programs and more options for those in need. We have to do better. Countries with lax drug laws have already proven to be better at eradicating such problems, it’s time we think about doing the same.
