For decades, the U.S. focused on trying to scare people away from drugs, instituting tough criminal penalties and emphasizing law enforcement over addiction treatment.
But a major change is underway.
The old approach failed to prevent an overdose crisis that now kills more than 100,000 Americans a year. Policymakers have awakened to the urgency of the problem and shifted resources, namely funding, toward treatment. While criminal penalties for drugs remain, many states, led both by Democrats and Republicans, have lessened them. Lawmakers now often discuss drugs as a problem of public health, not just criminal justice.
Some lawmakers have even embraced a once-radical strategy called harm reduction. The approach focuses on mitigating the potential dangers of drugs, not necessarily encouraging users to abstain.
Republicans, whose party historically opposed harm reduction, are among those backing some tenets of it. The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives voted last month for a bill that would decriminalize test strips to check drugs for fentanyl, the potent opioid that is often mixed into heroin, pills and other drugs. Republican strongholds, including Kentucky, Utah and Mississippi, recently decriminalized the test strips.
“My hope is that every person struggling with addiction has access to a quality recovery program and has the opportunity to gain and maintain long-term sobriety,” Representative Tom Oliverson, the Texas Republican who sponsored his state’s bill, told me. “But if they die instantly from a drug they didn’t even know they were taking, I can’t fix that. Nobody can.”
The country has undergone a “decided shift” in favor of harm reduction, said Regina LaBelle, who led the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Biden. In 2015, Congress lifted a funding ban for needle exchanges, where clean syringes are distributed to keep people from reusing or sharing potentially infected devices. And in March, the F.D.A. for the first time made naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, available over the counter.
Mitigating risk
The modern version of harm reduction originated in the 1980s, when a widespread drug problem and the AIDS crisis motivated activists to pursue something other than criminalization.
They helped create needle exchanges in hopes of stopping the spread of H.I.V. through dirty syringes. Critics argued that needle exchanges would encourage drug use and could lead to more overdose deaths by removing a deterrent to using drugs.
Real-world evidence disproves those claims. Needle exchanges have been shown to reduce infections, according to the C.D.C. In fact, needle exchange programs can reduce overdoses and drug use over time, by acting as hubs that educate people on safe practices and connect them to addiction treatment.
Much of this evidence has existed for decades. But it was not until recently that many more policymakers embraced harm reduction approaches.
A softer touch
What changed? Three things, experts say.
First, lawmakers grew desperate to reduce overdose deaths, which have climbed for decades and surpassed 100,000 annually for the first time in 2021. Old ideas, like harsh criminal penalties, were clearly insufficient. So lawmakers turned to alternatives they once dismissed, seeking any kind of solution.
Second, the overdose crisis is now so widespread that many more people, including members of Congress, know someone hurt by it. “Every single member of the House and Senate has grieving constituents coming in, having buried kids or brothers or sisters or moms or dads,” Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University drug policy expert, said. “That creates incentives, both emotional and political, to try things that otherwise would be unacceptable.”
And third is the role of race and class. Previous drug crises disproportionately hurt marginalized populations — such as Black people during the 1980s crack epidemic and poor white people during the 1990s-2000s meth epidemic. White, wealthy people had little exposure to these problems. Stereotypes about drug use flourished. A punitive approach, aimed at keeping drugs away from as-yet-unaffected communities, took hold.
The current overdose crisis has more directly hit white people of all classes, including lawmakers. As uncomfortable as it may be that policymakers can be more apt to act — and do so compassionately — when a problem personally affects them, it’s often true.
Limits in support
Harm reduction is still far from gaining universal acceptance. Last year, Senate Republicans criticized the potential inclusion of crack pipes in safe smoking kits from federally funded programs. Some conservative states, like West Virginia, have restricted or blocked needle exchange programs. Many lawmakers of both parties reject more controversial ideas, like supervised injection sites. In Texas, the House’s fentanyl test strip bill is mired in a Senate committee, despite Gov. Greg Abbott voicing support for the idea.
Still, there is notable movement, however uneven. Three years ago, fentanyl test strips were outlawed in 33 states. Today, they are legal or soon will be in at least 37.
THE LATEST NEWS
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The Federal Reserve announced another interest-rate rise — its 10th in a row — bringing rates above 5 percent for the first time since 2007.
Fed officials suggested they could pause increases as soon as next month. Check how higher rates affect you.
President Biden and congressional Republicans are still in a standoff about raising the nation’s debt limit.
War in Ukraine
Russia claims it thwarted an attack by two Ukrainian drones trying to assassinate Vladimir Putin. Ukraine said Russia had manufactured the episode.
Video footage verified by The Times shows two explosions minutes apart above the Kremlin.
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A seventh grader opened fire in his school in Serbia, killing at least eight classmates. Gun violence is rare in the country.
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Donald Trump’s lawyers will call no defense witnesses in the civil trial over whether he raped E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
Jim Marchant, an election denier, is running for Senate in Nevada. The swing-state race could determine control of the chamber in 2024.
A new program could eliminate New York City’s trash bag piles by using containers — at the cost of 150,000 parking spots.
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The U.S. is convinced that China is trying to replace it as a world power, but even China doubts it can, Jessica Chen Weiss writes.
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Coronation: Whether it’s ceramics or cereal, this is commemorative merchandise fit for a king.
A code of whiteness: In his first piece as a critic at large, A.O. Scott discusses the racial ideology in Tucker Carlson’s text message.
Baffled scientists: Why does this cannibalistic fish keep washing ashore?
“A very weird hybrid”: Behold, the corset hoodie.
Back up! Secure your digital life.
Advice from Wirecutter: Tips for organizing your shed or garage.
Lives Lived: Tori Bowie, a sprinter, won three Olympic medals in 2016 and the next year won the world championship in the 100-meter dash. She died at 32.
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N.B.A. playoffs: The Celtics beat the Sixers to tie their series at 1-1.
Last place: The Yankees’ general manager tried to reassure fans of the injury-plagued team a month into the season.
A troubling trend: Four horses have been euthanized at Churchill Downs in the last week, days before the Kentucky Derby.
“Ain’t no joke”: Snoop Dogg says he’s serious about buying the N.H.L.’s Ottawa Senators.
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Embracing the machines
A graduate course at Columbia University is teaching young artists to embrace A.I. Students are creating immersive performances with tools like ChatGPT and the image generator Midjourney, which they will show in Los Angeles this fall.
Haiyu Zhang, a student, said the technology has allowed her to focus on big concepts while the algorithm filled in the details. “What makes artists special is their ability to imagine something new,” she said. “So while I think that A.I. tools help express our creativity, creativity will still be the driving force behind the future of art.”
For more: What it’s like to spend a weekend with an emotional support bot. And a review by a Times critic of “the first halfway readable A.I. novel.”
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to Cook
This cheesecake is big, beautiful, lush and creamy.
What to Watch
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a “dour, visually off-putting two-and-a-half-hour A.S.P.C.A. nightmare of a film.”
What to Read
Try these new books on Elverhoj, Frances Elkins, offshore décor and designing with plants.
Now Time to Play
The pangram from yesterday’s Spelling Bee was voltage. Here are today’s puzzle and the Bee Buddy, which helps you find remaining words.
And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Tiles.
Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — German
P.S. The Times has redesigned its evening newsletter. Subscribe to The Morning’s counterpart: The Evening.
Here’s today’s front page.
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Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » America’s New Drug Policy
America’s New Drug Policy
For decades, the U.S. focused on trying to scare people away from drugs, instituting tough criminal penalties and emphasizing law enforcement over addiction treatment.
But a major change is underway.
The old approach failed to prevent an overdose crisis that now kills more than 100,000 Americans a year. Policymakers have awakened to the urgency of the problem and shifted resources, namely funding, toward treatment. While criminal penalties for drugs remain, many states, led both by Democrats and Republicans, have lessened them. Lawmakers now often discuss drugs as a problem of public health, not just criminal justice.
Some lawmakers have even embraced a once-radical strategy called harm reduction. The approach focuses on mitigating the potential dangers of drugs, not necessarily encouraging users to abstain.
Republicans, whose party historically opposed harm reduction, are among those backing some tenets of it. The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives voted last month for a bill that would decriminalize test strips to check drugs for fentanyl, the potent opioid that is often mixed into heroin, pills and other drugs. Republican strongholds, including Kentucky, Utah and Mississippi, recently decriminalized the test strips.
“My hope is that every person struggling with addiction has access to a quality recovery program and has the opportunity to gain and maintain long-term sobriety,” Representative Tom Oliverson, the Texas Republican who sponsored his state’s bill, told me. “But if they die instantly from a drug they didn’t even know they were taking, I can’t fix that. Nobody can.”
The country has undergone a “decided shift” in favor of harm reduction, said Regina LaBelle, who led the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Biden. In 2015, Congress lifted a funding ban for needle exchanges, where clean syringes are distributed to keep people from reusing or sharing potentially infected devices. And in March, the F.D.A. for the first time made naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, available over the counter.
Mitigating risk
The modern version of harm reduction originated in the 1980s, when a widespread drug problem and the AIDS crisis motivated activists to pursue something other than criminalization.
They helped create needle exchanges in hopes of stopping the spread of H.I.V. through dirty syringes. Critics argued that needle exchanges would encourage drug use and could lead to more overdose deaths by removing a deterrent to using drugs.
Real-world evidence disproves those claims. Needle exchanges have been shown to reduce infections, according to the C.D.C. In fact, needle exchange programs can reduce overdoses and drug use over time, by acting as hubs that educate people on safe practices and connect them to addiction treatment.
Much of this evidence has existed for decades. But it was not until recently that many more policymakers embraced harm reduction approaches.
A softer touch
What changed? Three things, experts say.
First, lawmakers grew desperate to reduce overdose deaths, which have climbed for decades and surpassed 100,000 annually for the first time in 2021. Old ideas, like harsh criminal penalties, were clearly insufficient. So lawmakers turned to alternatives they once dismissed, seeking any kind of solution.
Second, the overdose crisis is now so widespread that many more people, including members of Congress, know someone hurt by it. “Every single member of the House and Senate has grieving constituents coming in, having buried kids or brothers or sisters or moms or dads,” Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University drug policy expert, said. “That creates incentives, both emotional and political, to try things that otherwise would be unacceptable.”
And third is the role of race and class. Previous drug crises disproportionately hurt marginalized populations — such as Black people during the 1980s crack epidemic and poor white people during the 1990s-2000s meth epidemic. White, wealthy people had little exposure to these problems. Stereotypes about drug use flourished. A punitive approach, aimed at keeping drugs away from as-yet-unaffected communities, took hold.
The current overdose crisis has more directly hit white people of all classes, including lawmakers. As uncomfortable as it may be that policymakers can be more apt to act — and do so compassionately — when a problem personally affects them, it’s often true.
Limits in support
Harm reduction is still far from gaining universal acceptance. Last year, Senate Republicans criticized the potential inclusion of crack pipes in safe smoking kits from federally funded programs. Some conservative states, like West Virginia, have restricted or blocked needle exchange programs. Many lawmakers of both parties reject more controversial ideas, like supervised injection sites. In Texas, the House’s fentanyl test strip bill is mired in a Senate committee, despite Gov. Greg Abbott voicing support for the idea.
Still, there is notable movement, however uneven. Three years ago, fentanyl test strips were outlawed in 33 states. Today, they are legal or soon will be in at least 37.
THE LATEST NEWS
Economy
The Federal Reserve announced another interest-rate rise — its 10th in a row — bringing rates above 5 percent for the first time since 2007.
Fed officials suggested they could pause increases as soon as next month. Check how higher rates affect you.
President Biden and congressional Republicans are still in a standoff about raising the nation’s debt limit.
War in Ukraine
Russia claims it thwarted an attack by two Ukrainian drones trying to assassinate Vladimir Putin. Ukraine said Russia had manufactured the episode.
Video footage verified by The Times shows two explosions minutes apart above the Kremlin.
Gun Violence
A gunman killed one person at a medical office building in Atlanta. The police caught a 24-year-old suspect after an hourslong manhunt.
A seventh grader opened fire in his school in Serbia, killing at least eight classmates. Gun violence is rare in the country.
The police arrested the wife of the man they say killed five neighbors in Texas last week, accusing her of helping him evade capture.
Other Big Stories
U.S. regulators approved a vaccine for the respiratory illness R.S.V. for people 60 and older.
The Biden administration wants to reduce the risks of artificial intelligence, including through money for research and guidelines for agencies.
American eighth graders are falling behind on U.S. history. Try a sample quiz to test your knowledge.
Donald Trump’s lawyers will call no defense witnesses in the civil trial over whether he raped E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
Jim Marchant, an election denier, is running for Senate in Nevada. The swing-state race could determine control of the chamber in 2024.
A new program could eliminate New York City’s trash bag piles by using containers — at the cost of 150,000 parking spots.
Opinions
The U.S. is convinced that China is trying to replace it as a world power, but even China doubts it can, Jessica Chen Weiss writes.
The Republican Party has a lock on Mississippi. This year, a Democratic candidate for governor may have a chance, David Firestone argues.
Here are columns by Charles Blow, on Tucker Carlson, and Pamela Paul, on merit in science.
MORNING READS
Coronation: Whether it’s ceramics or cereal, this is commemorative merchandise fit for a king.
A code of whiteness: In his first piece as a critic at large, A.O. Scott discusses the racial ideology in Tucker Carlson’s text message.
Baffled scientists: Why does this cannibalistic fish keep washing ashore?
“A very weird hybrid”: Behold, the corset hoodie.
Back up! Secure your digital life.
Advice from Wirecutter: Tips for organizing your shed or garage.
Lives Lived: Tori Bowie, a sprinter, won three Olympic medals in 2016 and the next year won the world championship in the 100-meter dash. She died at 32.
SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC
N.B.A. playoffs: The Celtics beat the Sixers to tie their series at 1-1.
Last place: The Yankees’ general manager tried to reassure fans of the injury-plagued team a month into the season.
A troubling trend: Four horses have been euthanized at Churchill Downs in the last week, days before the Kentucky Derby.
“Ain’t no joke”: Snoop Dogg says he’s serious about buying the N.H.L.’s Ottawa Senators.
ARTS AND IDEAS
Embracing the machines
A graduate course at Columbia University is teaching young artists to embrace A.I. Students are creating immersive performances with tools like ChatGPT and the image generator Midjourney, which they will show in Los Angeles this fall.
Haiyu Zhang, a student, said the technology has allowed her to focus on big concepts while the algorithm filled in the details. “What makes artists special is their ability to imagine something new,” she said. “So while I think that A.I. tools help express our creativity, creativity will still be the driving force behind the future of art.”
For more: What it’s like to spend a weekend with an emotional support bot. And a review by a Times critic of “the first halfway readable A.I. novel.”
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to Cook
This cheesecake is big, beautiful, lush and creamy.
What to Watch
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a “dour, visually off-putting two-and-a-half-hour A.S.P.C.A. nightmare of a film.”
What to Read
Try these new books on Elverhoj, Frances Elkins, offshore décor and designing with plants.
Now Time to Play
The pangram from yesterday’s Spelling Bee was voltage. Here are today’s puzzle and the Bee Buddy, which helps you find remaining words.
And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Tiles.
Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — German
P.S. The Times has redesigned its evening newsletter. Subscribe to The Morning’s counterpart: The Evening.
Here’s today’s front page.
Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at [email protected].
Source: Read Full Article