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What’s
a Community To Do?
A Guide for Effective Drug Policy
The situation seems dire – kids getting high, dealers
cruising the streets, meth labs popping up just blocks from
the school house, prisons running over. Concerned citizens
look for ways to stem the continuing growth of substance
abuse in their home town, but aren’t sure what to do –
budget for more police, more jail space? It seems as though
it is time to really get tough.
But just a
minute! Isn’t this exactly what we’ve been doing for the
last thirty years? States and the federal government spent
$9 billion on jails and prisons in 1982 and $49 billion in
1999, an increase of more than 400 percent But the drug
problem hasn’t dropped by 400 percent. In fact, the problem
has become worse. Clearly something isn’t working.
Increasingly, concerned
communities are discovering that new approaches yield better
results. For example, offering treatment programs instead of
jail time is not only less expensive, but offers
long-lasting solutions to the fundamental problem of
addiction. Treated as the medical problem that it really is,
addiction responds much better to counseling, education, and
behavioral modification than it does to a
crime-and-punishment approach.
When a community wants to take action, what are some
effective steps and options?
1. Set realistic goals
a. Just as many people use
alcohol responsibly without driving drunk or becoming an
alcoholic, many people use marijuana responsibly. It is
not realistic to believe that marijuana or any other illegal
drug can ever be eradicated from the face of the earth. This
is a lesson America should have learned from its failed
effort with alcohol prohibition. A more effective approach
would be to ask, how can we reduce the number of people who
abuse illegal drugs? And, how can we reduce the harm these
drugs cause to families and communities?
b. Working within one
community, or even within a region, there are still only a
limited number of changes that can be made at this level.
Drug policy is established at the state and national level.
So local efforts may ultimately involve working to make
changes not only at the local level, but also at the state
and national level. In order to be effective, you may need
to network with other local, regional, and even state and
national organizations.
2. Get clear on what you want
Two sides to the same
coin approach: On one side is a person whose life is out
of control. He abuses drugs, can’t support his family, and
spreads a bad influence in the community. He’s been arrested
several times and it seems the only answer is to lock him up
forever. Get tough on this guy!
On the other side is a person who is hopelessly addicted to
substance abuse. He can’t stop and can’t seem to get any
help trying to stop. He doesn’t want to throw his life away
but can’t figure out how to avoid abusing drugs, which leads
to more jail time. The only thing that feels good is getting
high.
What does the community want? Does it want to keep building
more jails so there is always room to throw away more broken
people? Or does it want to provide ways to help broken
people get well?
3. Find out what works in other
communities
a. Drug Court. Encouraged
by research showing treatment to be more effective than jail
time in reducing substance abuse, many communities have
called for change in the approach to substance abuse
problems. In Arkansas, drug courts have begun to offer
treatment instead criminal sentencing for persons whose
offenses stem from their substance abuse. For example, a
person may write hot checks in order to support a drug
habit. Rather than spend time in jail, this person could
spend time in treatment and learn how to control the drug
habit. This follows the simple logic of addressing the real
problem (addiction) instead of just the symptoms (writing
hot checks). If drug court is not available in your
community, it should be.
b. Effective, accessible
treatment. Just because treatment is available for
people in your community doesn’t mean it is effective.
Substance abuse is usually a problem that has been growing
for a long time. It won’t go away in a three-week treatment
program. Sometimes even a year in treatment isn’t enough. It
could take years for a person to overcome the urge to get
high and learn new ways to feel good. Some of the
contributing factors to substance abuse occurred early in
life, such as sexual or emotional abuse. Many substance
abusers had parents who also abused substances, so that’s
all they know. They have learned to see themselves as
outsiders, bad people who can’t have the good things in
life. It takes a lot of hard work to turn around this kind
of attitude. And it takes a whole-person approach:
improvement in educational and job skills, self-esteem,
health and appearance.
Programs that are effective in
helping people make these kinds of changes are also
expensive. Very few ‘good’ treatment programs are available
in Arkansas. Taxpayers in Arkansas, through their elected
representatives, need to decide if they want to keep paying
$60,000 per year to put people in jail for substance abuse,
or it they would rather spend that money on quality
treatment.
c. Meaningful prevention. Why wait 'til it gets that
bad? Some communities are getting proactive about substance
abuse, looking at ways to prevent addiction. They
acknowledge that prohibition isn’t working. Among the
preventative approaches are:
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improved early education,
helping kids catch up and stay up with their grade level
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full community services for
families, including medical and mental health care
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a reality-based drug
education program
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high quality, easily
available treatment programs
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a non-punitive approach to
addiction
4. Find out what works
in other nations
Many nations have begun a
process of dismantling the drug war. Instead of shuttling
billions toward police and prisons, nations are embarking on
a new approach to drug policy. Adult citizens are granted
the right to use marijuana without risk of arrest. In
return, governments are gaining additional resources to
provide treatment for persons with serious addiction
problems who commit crimes in order to support their
addictions.
Even in the United States, some states and municipalities
have found that this approach offers tremendous benefits.
Marijuana offenses are given the lowest law enforcement
priority, freeing up resources for more serious offenses. Is
this something that would work in your community?
Before a community or citizen committee makes choices about
how to move forward on an issue of concern such as drugs, it
is good to learn about other similar efforts. No one wants
to re-invent the wheel. A wide range of literature at public
libraries and online information is available. Study groups
could select some topics and report back to the group.
And what do others in the community think? Consider hosting
public meetings to hear input from every possible point of
view. Think some folks might be too squeamish to talk about
big new ideas? Offer to accept anonymous input.
Sit down with community leaders, especially those on the
front lines like law enforcement and public defenders. Tell
them what they say will remain confidential, and then ask
them if prohibition is working.
Above all, be willing to consider new ideas. Think long
term. We didn’t get in this mess overnight and we won’t get
out quickly. Incremental change will be required. What comes
first?
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