November 30, 2021–Due Process Institute joined over 240 organizations to urge Congress to swiftly enact legislation to address the historic and ongoing drug overdose epidemic by supporting urgently needed public health services, including increased access to harm reduction services and treatment. This year the U.S. reached the grim marker of over 100,000 overdose deaths; this represents the highest number of overdose deaths ever on record.
For the past 50 years, the U.S. has carried out an enforcement-first, criminalization approach to drug policy. Criminalization has not reduced the illicit drug supply nor has it saved lives, as evidenced by the increasing number of overdose deaths. Instead, criminalization has perpetuated stigma against people who use drugs, creating an environment where individuals have a more difficult time accessing the health services and support they need. These approaches have also fueled overdose numbers by pushing people into risky situations, making the drug supply unregulated and unsafe, and wasting resources on punishment instead of harm reduction and other health services proven to save lives.
We urge Congress to enact the following legislation: $69.5 million in FY22 funding to increase access to overdose prevention and harm reduction, the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act (H.R. 1384 / S. 445), and the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention (STOP) of Fentanyl Act (H.R. 2366 / S.1457).
The nation cannot wait another year to address the skyrocketing increase in overdose deaths. The time to implement evidence-based policies grounded in compassion is now.