Discussing "Racial Justice Requires Ending the War on Drugs"

In this episode we discuss the recent article: "Racial Justice Requires Ending the War on Drugs" (Earp, Lewis, Hart, & Bioethicists and Allied Professionals for Drug Policy Reform, 2021). The article highlights ways in which the war on drugs in the US has perpetuated racism, exemplified by the recent, heartbreaking killing of Breonna Taylor during a botched drug raid in 2020. Informed by history and data, the article argues for decriminalizing drugs as a necessary step for racial justice in the US and globally, given that the drug war has impacted sociopolicy across continents for decades. The topic is near and dear to Katie and Leo for a variety of personal and professional reasons. As we discuss the article we weave Leo's experiences growing up in Colombia during the height of the drug war, and Oregon becoming the first U.S. state to decriminalize the possession and personal use of all drugs. We also discuss the benefits of treating substance use-related problems through a public health policy following Portugal's approach rather than through criminal justice system which has not borne desired results, as rates of drug use remain stable or have increased in past few years in particular for opioids and stimulants. We also touch on obstacles in the current system for people seeking help, the DARE program, and the role that pharmaceutical companies have played in overprescription of these drugs. In our next episode we will include an expert guest and focus on mental health implications and treatment and hopefully some data on legalization trends across the world. As usual, we lighten the mood here and there by discussing delicious Portuguese octopus dishes and Katie's experiences with the DARE program in 5th grade. We are probably not going to get any pharmaceutical company sponsorships after this one.  

Thanks for listening! We are looking into re-broadcasting these episodes in Spanish please let us know what you think of the idea. If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on Apple/iTunes so other people can find us. You can find us on Twitter: @_psychodrama_. Thank you so much!