In 2020 alone, over 90,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States. This spike marks a staggering 31% increase from 2019, one of the largest rises in history. And yet -- even after nearly a half century of failed, punitive strategies which simply criminalize drug use -- U.S. drug policy remains largely unchanged. For decades now, research has shown that the War on Drugs failed to prevent drug use, disproportionately put Black and brown men in jail, and didn't stop overdoses. So why isn't Biden adequately expanding drug policy that is based on actual research, such as harm reduction, prevention, and treatment?
Sign now to demand that the Biden Administration increase funding for harm reduction and expand access to treatment!
While addiction is a widespread and pervasive problem, experts say some of the simplest and most effective solutions to prevent overdoses are underfunded or have been implemented too slowly and limitedly. Naloxone kits, for example, offer a life-saving reversal of opioid overdoses, giving emergency responders vital time needed to get to the scene and treat overdosing patients. The price of this vital antidote is rising just when people need it most. Nonprofits and community members around the country are in short supply of the essential naloxone, and support from the federal government -- both in producing and supplying it – would be extremely effective at reducing overdose deaths.
In addition to naloxone, test strips which alert people if deadly fentanyl is present in the drugs they are using can save lives, too. Yet in many states test strips are considered drug paraphernalia, criminalizing people who are trying to be as safe as possible.
Other medication-assisted treatments, such as buprenorphine, can be extremely hard to find. Because of overly-aggressive federal drug enforcement policies which disincentivize pharmacies from offering it in the first place, it can be easier for some pharmacists to prescribe fentanyl itself than buprenorphine.
The federal government has signaled that it is interested in getting to the root of the overdose crisis, but experts say that these efforts are simply not enough. The coronavirus pandemic triggered a mental health and substance abuse crisis, and unless the federal government acts compassionately and quickly, we will continue to lose lives.
If the Biden Administration wants to prevent the death of tens of thousands more Americans, it should be investing far more federal dollars and resources in prevention, and making treatment and harm reduction readily available. Sign the petition now if you agree!
