Author: Sami Ahmad

“The Once and Future Drug War.” by James Marson et al.

Sami Ahmad

Marson, J., Wernau, J., Luhnow, D. (2022, January 22). The once and future drug war. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-once-and-future-drug-war-11642780895

In the newspaper “The Once and Future Drug War” by James Marson, Julie Wernau, and David Luhnow, published by The Wall Street Journal

on January 22, 2022, the contributors discuss the current state and potential future of drug policy in the United States. Press argues that

despite efforts to shift towards a more compassionate and health-oriented approach to drug use, the United States is still largely pursuing a

punitive approach that disproportionately affects communities of color. He notes that the opioid epidemic has brought about some changes in

how drug addiction is viewed, but that these changes have been slow to take root. The author also explores the role of law enforcement and the

prison-industrial complex in perpetuating the drug war, and suggests that decriminalization and harm reduction strategies could be more

effective in addressing drug-related issues. Ultimately, Press concludes that significant changes to drug policy will require a shift in societal

attitudes towards drug use and addiction, as well as a willingness to address the underlying social and economic issues that contribute to drug

use.

  1. “The drug war has devastated communities of color, criminalized addiction, and contributed to mass incarceration. It has done little to reduce drug use or availability, while creating a host of new problems, such as the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases among injection drug users” (Marson et al, 2022).
  2. “The drug war has also undermined public health, by discouraging drug users from seeking medical care and harm reduction services for fear of arrest or punishment. And it has diverted resources away from other pressing public health issues, such as the opioid epidemic and rising rates of overdose deaths” (Marson et al, 2022)

“The War on Drugs That Wasn’t: Wasted Whiteness, ‘Dirty Doctors,’ and Race in Media Coverage of Prescription Opioid Misuse” by Julie Netherland et al.

Sami Ahmad

Netherland, J., & Hansen, H. B. (2016). “The war on drugs that wasn’t: Wasted whiteness, “Dirty doctors,” and race in media coverage of prescription opioid misuse. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 40(4), 664–686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-016-9496-5

The article “The war on drugs that wasn’t: Wasted whiteness, “Dirty doctors,” and race in media coverage of prescription opioid misuse” by

Netherland and Hansen examines the racial biases in media coverage of the opioid epidemic. The authors argue that the media often depicts

opioid addiction as a problem of poor and non-white individuals, ignoring the reality that opioid addiction affects people of all races and

socioeconomic statuses. Furthermore, the authors discuss how the media has portrayed prescription opioid misuse as a result of “dirty doctors”

rather than holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the epidemic. The article highlights the concept of “wasted

whiteness,” which refers to the idea that white people who struggle with addiction are portrayed sympathetically while non-white people with

addiction are criminalized. Finally, the authors call for a shift in the media narrative to acknowledge the true nature of the opioid epidemic and

to address the systemic issues that contribute to addiction.

  1. “Media coverage of prescription opioid misuse is characterized by the same racializing dynamics that have shaped the coverage of other drug problems: it overrepresents urban problems, ignores rural and suburban ones, portrays Black and Latino users as pathological, and whites as victims” (Netherland et al, 2016).
  2. “By locating the problem within individual doctors and users, this narrative deflects attention from systemic issues that make opioid misuse more likely, such as the aggressive marketing of painkillers and a lack of access to addiction treatment” (Netherland et al, 2016).

“How the war on drugs impacts social determinants of health beyond the criminal legal system.” by Aliza Cohen et al.

Sami Ahmad

Cohen, A., Vakharia, S. P., Netherland, J., & Frederique, K. (2022, December). How the war on drugs impacts social determinants of health

beyond the criminal legal system. Annals of medicine. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9302017/

The article explores the consequences of the war on drugs on social determinants of health beyond the criminal legal system. The authors argue

that the war on drugs has led to significant disparities in health outcomes for marginalized communities, including decreased access to

healthcare, increased rates of chronic illness, and higher rates of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. The authors discuss how the war

on drugs has resulted in stigmatization and discrimination towards individuals who use drugs, exacerbating existing health disparities. The

authors also highlight how the war on drugs has contributed to the racialization of drug use and the criminalization of poverty, further

marginalizing communities of color. The article concludes by calling for a shift towards a public health approach to drug use and a recognition

of the role of structural inequality in shaping health outcomes.

  1. “A drug war logic that prioritises and justifies drug prohibition, criminalisation, and punishment has fuelled the expansion of drug surveillance and control mechanisms in numerous facets of everyday life in the United States negatively impacting key social determinants of health, including housing, education, income, and employment”, (Cohen et al, 2022).
  2. “One underexplored upstream SDOH is the “war on drugs” in the United States and how it exacerbates many of the factors that negatively impact health and wellbeing, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and people of colour who already experience structural challenges including discrimination, disinvestment, and racism”(Cohen et al, 2022).

“Despite push to legalize, War on Drugs still matters” by Tama J

Sami Ahmad

Tama, J. “Despite push to legalize, War on Drugs still matters.”. Brookings, 28, Jul. 2016, https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/despite-push-to-legalize-war-on-drugs-still-matters/

The article “Despite push to legalize, War on Drugs still matters” argues that despite the growing momentum towards legalizing drugs, the War

on Drugs policy still matters in the United States. The article was published by Brookings in 2016 and provides a nuanced analysis of the War

on Drugs policy. The article highlights the negative consequences of drug use and addiction, including the impact on public health and safety.

The article argues that the War on Drugs policy was established to address these concerns, but that it has been largely ineffective in achieving

its goals.

  1. “States face the very difficult task of managing consumption levels via unique regulatory regimes that promote scarcity, while simultaneously trying to price out illicit suppliers” (Tama, 2016).
  2. “Illicit Economies are persistent, and legalized marijuana regimes may be ripe for exploitation” (Tama, 2016).

“Is the war on drugs succeeding?” by London R

Sami Ahmad

London, R. “Is the war on drugs succeeding?”. Harvard Law School. 1, Jul. 2005, https://hls.harvard.edu/today/war-drugs-succeeding/

The article discusses how the War on Drugs policy has led to an increase in drug-related arrests and imprisonment but has failed to address the

underlying causes of drug use and addiction. The article highlights the negative impact of the War on Drugs policy on communities of color,

who have been disproportionately affected by the policy. The article also explores the economic costs of the War on Drugs policy, including the

burden on law enforcement and the costs associated with imprisonment. The article argues that the War on Drugs policy is ineffective and

unsustainable and calls for a shift towards a public health approach to drug use and addiction.

  1. “But it’s simply a long and difficult process because there are some people who believe that it’s just morally wrong. Forget whether the war on drugs is actually effective or not; they would say that it’s morally wrong to legalize drugs that are currently illegal” (London, 2005).
  2. “The problem of substance abuse is more a public health problem than a criminal justice problem” (Nadelmann as stated by London, 2005).

Social Consequences of the War on Drugs: The Legacy of Failed Policy by Eric L Jensen, et al.

Sami Ahmad

Jensen, Eric L, et al. “Social Consequences of the War on Drugs: The Legacy of Failed Policy.”

Social Consequences of the War on Drugs: The Legacy of Failed Policy, U.S Department

of Justice, Mar. 2004, https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/social-consequences-war-drugs-legacy-failed-policy

The article “Social Consequences of the War on Drugs: The Legacy of Failed Policy” explores the negative impact of the War on Drugs policy in

the United States. The article was published by the U.S Department of Justice in 2004 and presents an overview of the consequences of the War

on Drugs policy on individuals, families, and communities. The War on Drugs policy has led to an increase in incarceration rates and a

disproportionate impact on communities of color. The article also explores the economic costs of the War on Drugs policy, including the burden

on law enforcement and the costs associated with imprisonment.

  1. “Funds spent on prison-building have diverted resources from education and social programs, such that citizens are less able to compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace, as skills are less and employment opportunities become limited” (Jensen et al, 2004).
  2. “The War on Drugs has had a profound negative impact on the lives of millions of Americans. It has severely damaged the relationship between communities and the police and eroded trust in government institutions. It has resulted in mass incarceration, with people of color bearing the brunt of the punishment. It has also diverted resources away from treatment and prevention programs, exacerbating the health and social consequences of drug use. And despite decades of aggressive law enforcement efforts, drug use and drug-related crime remain major problems in our society” (Jensen et al, 2004).

“It Ruined My Life”: The effects of the War on Drugs on people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural Puerto Rico by R. Abadie et al.

Sami Ahmad

Abadie, R, et al. “It Ruined My Life: The Effects of the War on Drugs on People Who Inject

Drugs (PWID) in Rural Puerto Rico.” The International Journal on Drug Policy, U.S.

National Library of Medicine, 14 July 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5851589/.

The article discusses how the War on Drugs has led to increased criminalization of drug use and harsher penalties for drug-related offenses.

This has resulted in an over-reliance on law enforcement and incarceration as solutions to drug use, which has had negative consequences for

PWID. The study found that PWID in rural Puerto Rico faces significant barriers to accessing harm reduction services and treatment due to

stigma and discrimination. The article also highlights the impact of the opioid epidemic on PWID in rural Puerto Rico, which has led to

increased injection drug use and overdose deaths. The study found that PWID in rural Puerto Rico often lack access to overdose prevention

measures such as naloxone, further exacerbating the harm caused by the War on Drugs policy.

  1. “Focused on eliminating the production, distribution, and consumption of drugs, this policy has been criticized for being unable to attain these goals” (Abadie et al, 2017).
  2. “It is no coincidence that this study occurred in rural Puerto Rico, where over the past decade the island has been ravaged by an HIV epidemic primarily driven by injection drug use. As a result of drug user policing and stigmatization, there is a general distrust of the medical establishment and government among PWID in rural Puerto Rico, leading to low uptake of preventive measures such as syringe exchange, HIV and hepatitis C virus testing, and antiretroviral treatment” (Abadie et al, 2017).