The Controlled Substance Act was passed in 1970 to help solve the issue of drug use and trafficking in America. This act allowed anyone who was found using or possessing any sort of controlled drug paraphernalia to be arrested and sent to jail for extended periods of time, as well as fined a hefty amount.
Although passing this act was a good recognition of the issue of drug use and trafficking in America, and an honest effort to help it, it has ultimately fallen short in its ability to solve the problem. Sending drug addicts to prison and fining them is only slapping a bandage on the huge wound that leads people to become addicted to drugs, and it is only a temporary solution to the issue.
The biggest misconception about drug addiction is that it is a crime rather than an illness. Drug addiction, just like any other addiction, stems from external and/or internal issues a person is dealing with. It is an escape from the difficulties of dealing with those issues.
Arresting someone for drug use or possession is the same as arresting someone for a gambling or alcohol addiction. It’s punishing someone for being ill rather than treating them, which is not an effective way to help them.
On the surface, prison may seem like a good place to put drug addicts because it gives them a place to detox, and, hopefully, no longer experience cravings for the drug. This, however, is generally not the case. What many prisons fail to recognize is that drug withdrawal can be extremely dangerous or even fatal if not treated properly.
When people are admitted into programs for drug addiction, they are often given gradually lower doses of the drug until their body gets used to being sober. In many prisons, this issue is not addressed, leading many prisoners to attain the drug through their own means, which completely invalidates the reason for incarcerating them in the first place.
Furthermore, the solution to drug addiction is not purely sobriety, but rather healthy connections, mental wellness and support.
Prisons are generally not the kind of place that people associate with being welcoming and loving, which is what is required for someone to break their addiction. Prisons are also generally populated by people who don’t have the greatest influence on others and who may even promote behaviors such as drug use. Without having others to have their back through their journey through sobriety, it’s highly likely that an addict will relapse in the future.
The consequences of being jailed for drug addiction aren’t limited to just being in prison. After many drug addicts get out of jail, they find it difficult to get a job, find housing or receive education because of their criminal record. The long-term consequences of being jailed for drug use are the same as for someone who was jailed for more egregious or violent crimes. Unless someone ended up hurting someone else while under the influence of drugs, they shouldn’t have to face such severe consequences.
Instead of arresting drug addicts, the government should start seeing drug addiction as the mental illness that it is, rather than a crime. They should provide necessary resources for those struggling with addiction in order to help them overcome it. Students at NIU share similar ideas as to how drug addicts can be helped.
Suzy Soto, a junior psychology major, argues the government should give more support to people recovering from drug addiction
“The government should give them more resources and also cover rehab and all that stuff because a lot of people don’t get the help that they need because it’s too expensive,” Soto said.
Zach Hoftender, a first-year physical therapy major, believes the government should assist more in giving drug addicts free help.
“They should allow more free help for them to get into rehab to help them get clean,” Hoftender said.
It’s clear that the big issue surrounding the way the government handles drug addicts is them not providing the resources that they need to get clean, and that can play a huge role in helping them. Many countries in Europe have taken this approach when handling the drug epidemic, and it has been very successful in reducing the number of overdoses and drug addicts in general. America should look to these countries for guidance as to how to handle the drug problem here, otherwise it will only get worse.
