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.
- “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).
- “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).
