Don’t jail addicts. Overdose prevention sites work, and the US needs to get on board
Today, 200 Americans likely will die from a drug overdose. Most of them will die alone.
The government’s modern-day response to our nation’s overdose epidemic has been woefully inadequate. Rather than relying on medical science, our leaders have been influenced by the same misguided approaches that undergirded the “war on drugs” in the 1980s — fear, stigma and racism.
We need a smarter strategy that reduces harm and saves lives. This starts with prosecutors ending the criminal crackdown on drug users — pushing for treatment instead of pressing charges; encouraging law enforcement to change street approaches; and, most of all,…
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Don't jail addicts. Overdose prevention sites work, and the US needs to get on board.
usatoday.com
America's long-standing approach to drug use hasn't worked, and the justice system is overwhelmedShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google PlusShare on Linked InShare by Email
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Dan SatterbergFollow2281,632
I'll be your prosecutor and so much more!
.@SeaGlobalist invited me to answer questions around what I am doing as a prosecutor for communities of color and the immigrant community. https://t.co/6k1ZKRlefk
My family's personal experience with addiction taught me a lot about what it takes to help end the cycle of substance abuse that too often spirals into criminal activity. Getting people help instead of handcuffs also reduces recidivism and the cost to society as a whole.