“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).

Euthanasia Spreads in Europe by Wesley J. Smith

Raneem Baalbaki

Smith, Wesley J. “Euthanasia Spreads in Europe.” National Review, 26 October 2011.

In this article by Wesley J. Smith, a lawyer and an award-winning author who is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institutes Center on Human Exceptionalism and is also a consultant to the Patient’s rights Council, talks about how allowing assisted suicides for patients suffering for psychiatric disorders is wrong and should not be allowed. He goes on to explain how we shouldn’t be supporting suicide but trying our best to stop it. Smith brings to light how at one point in time we stopped trying to keep people alive even though it could be a long and difficult process and started agreeing that dying would a much easier way out even though that is the exact thought process we are trying to avoid. This article will help for the opposing paragraph in my final paper.

– “The assisted-suicide movement has eroded society’s commitment to suicide prevention. It has created an atmosphere where many people now see ‘dead’ as better than ‘dying’ and suicide as a valid remedy” (Smith)

– “This is cause for great worry, for, once a society embraces doctor prescribed death as an acceptable answer to human suffering or as some kind of fundamental liberty right, there are no brakes” (Smith)

When Death Is Sought: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Medical Context by New York State

Raneem Baalbaki

New York State Task Force on Life and the Law. “The Epidemiology of Suicide” When Death Is Sought: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Medical Context, New York State, April 2011, pp. 11.

In this book by the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, chapter one talks about what it means to be suicidal and the thought process behind it. Suicide is the eighth leading causa of death in the U.S. Suicide is not the result of a little problem or a crisis someone is going through. Personal characteristics are associated with a higher risk of committing suicide. Society has tried its best to prevent suicide and has even seen attempts as a cry for help or the need for psychiatric treatment. Because of this the thought of patients being allowed to go through with assisted suicides seems wrong and seems to challenge the belief that suicide should be prevented. This book chapter goes into detail about suicide and how assisted suicides challenge society’s beliefs and norms, and this is information that will be very helpful for me in my final essay.

– “The common stimulus to suicide is intolerable psychological pain.  Suicide represents an escape or release from that pain” (New York State 11)

– “Studies that examine the psychological background of individuals who kill themselves show that 95 percent have a diagnosable mental disorder at the time of death.  Depression, accompanied by symptoms of hopelessness and helplessness, is the most prevalent condition among individuals who commit suicide” (New York State 11)

Exploring Differences in Quality of Life in Clinical Populations of Depressed Outpatients with And Without Personality Disorders by Kool et al.

Raneem Baalbaki

Kool, Marit et al. “Exploring Differences in Quality of Life in Clinical Populations of Depressed Outpatients with And Without Personality Disorders” Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 282, 7 January 2021, pp. 1125-1131.

In this journal article eight mental health psychologist from the university of Amsterdam talk about the differences in the quality of life in those who suffer from depression and personality disorders than those who don’t. personality disorders, mood disorders and depression tend to co-exist. That the thing about mental disorders it’s never just one thing it’s a little bit of something here and there to ultimately create a disorder. Patients with depression have reported to have an extremely low quality of life compared to those who don’t suffer from depression as well as those who suffer from personality disorders. this article will be very helpful to me for my final paper because it gives statistical evidence that a disorder as common as depression has a lower quality of life than a rare personality disorder. that means that more and more peoples quality of life is decreasing as their depression gets worse.

– “Patients in the depression-only group reported a lower quality of life compared to patients who suffered from comorbid diagnoses of depression and [personality disorders]. When subdividing the comorbid group, this difference was statistically significant for the depression + [personality disorders] group, but not for the [personality disorder] + depression group” (Kool et al. 1129)

– “Both depressive disorders and [personality disorders] are highly invalidating conditions that affect the quality of life of patients” (Kool et al. 1125)

Public and Physicians Support for Euthanasia in People Suffering from Psychiatric Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study by Evenblij et al.

Raneem Baalbaki

Evenblij, Kirsten et al. “Public and Physicians Support for Euthanasia in People Suffering from Psychiatric Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study” BMC Medical Ethics, vol. 20, 11 September 2019.

In this Journal Article, five research psychologist from Amsterdam University’s medical center wanted to study whether the public would support assisted suicides for patients who suffer from mental disorders. they handed out surveys to the public and physicians. Their results showed that most of the public believed people with psychiatric disorders should be eligible for assisted suicides and the majority of psychiatrists thought that if no other options where available then they should respect their patients request. I think this journal article will be helpful for me in my final essay because it shows both sides to the story. Whether it be the public—people who don’t know the medical side of things—or the psychiatrists—the people who can decide whether all options have been thought through—the majority still believe it should be a patient’s decision at the end of the day.

– “The general public shows more support than opposition as to whether patients suffering from a psychiatric disorder should be eligible for [assisted suicides] …Physicians’ support depends on their specialization; 39% of psychiatrists considered performing [assisted suicides]” (Evenblij et al.).

– “Of the general public 53% were of the opinion that people with psychiatric disorders should be eligible for EAS, 15% was opposed to this, and 32% remained neutral” (Evenblij et al.).