Advance a Public Health Approach to Drugs: Tell Congress to Decriminalize Drugs 

Most Americans agree that it is time to treat drug use as a health issue instead of a crime. Yet drug possession is the most arrested offense in the country.  

Criminalizing people has only made things worse by ruining lives and preventing us from helping people. It is fueling the overdose crisis and blocking access to overdose prevention, health, and treatment policies that save lives.  

Decriminalizing all drugs is a major step toward change. It means no one would get arrested, be incarcerated, or punished for possessing drugs. Instead, resources would be shifted to health and supportive services that are proven to keep our communities safer. 

Last year, the Drug Policy Reform Act (DPRA) was introduced in Congress. This unprecedented bill will help tear down the federal drug war through decriminalizing drug possession and investing in health-based alternatives. 

Join our fight to replace punishment with health-based solutions. Urge Congress to support the DPRA and decriminalize drugs nationwide.
Dear Rep/Sen,    

Most Americans like me agree that punishing people who use drugs has failed and that it's time to treat drug use as a health issue instead of a crime. I urge you to support federal efforts to decriminalize drug possession and invest in health services, including co-sponsoring the Drug Policy Reform Act which was introduced in the House last year.     

Drug possession is the most arrested offense in the country. Punitive drug policies have not prevented the use, sales, or accessibility of drugs. It has only fueled mass incarceration, exacerbated the overdose crisis, and devastated lives, families, and communities across the U.S., disproportionately affecting Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities.    

Decriminalizing the possession of all drugs is a major step toward change. It means no one would get arrested, be incarcerated, or punished for possessing drugs. Instead, resources would be shifted to health and supportive services that are proven to keep our communities safe, healthy, and alive.      

It's time for a new approach. The Drug Policy Reform Act (H.R. 4020) would end criminal penalties for drug possession at the federal level, shift the regulatory authority from the Attorney General to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), expunge records and provide for resentencing, and invest in alternative health-centered approaches. The bill also eliminates many of the life-long consequences associated with drug arrests and convictions, including the denial of employment, public benefits, drivers' licenses, and voting rights.       

It's time to treat drug use as a public health issue rather than a criminal legal one. Polling shows that Americans like me support decriminalizing drug possession and reinvesting resources into health services instead. After the decades of harm caused by arresting and incarcerating people who use drugs, I hope you will listen to your constituents like me by supporting federal drug possession decriminalization and co-sponsoring the Drug Policy Reform Act. Thank you.  

[your name]
Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.