The head of a federal drug agency is criticizing the ongoing war on drugs. As it continues to criminalize people for low-level drug use. They are suggesting that the government should consider a policy of decriminalization.

Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), wrote an essay for the journal Health Affairs. It is titled, “Addiction Should Be Treated, Not Penalized”. The essay covers the case against incarcerating people over low-level drug offenses. It takes a look at the issue as a public health matter instead of a criminal one.

While it does not go all the way in explicitly endorsing that the government consider decriminalization. It does shed light on the current system and how it leads to disproportionate enforcement against communities of color. Volkow says that it can increase the risk of overdose deaths.

“Drug use continues to be penalized, despite the fact that punishment does not ameliorate substance use disorders or related problems, she said. “Imprisonment, whether for drug or other offenses, actually leads to a much higher risk of drug overdose upon release.”

For decades science and various studies have pointed to addiction as a medical condition. It is a treatable brain disorder. Unfortunately, despite the evidence, criminalizing drug addiction continues. She says in her book that the “US must take a public health approach to drug addiction now, in the interest of both population well-being and health equity.”

Throughout decades of addressing drug use as a crime, the NIDA head pointed out that it harms people of color. Noting disparities in how opioid criminalization has been enforced and laws punishing crack more harshly than powder cocaine, are examples of racial discrimination.

Changing the Future

The notability of these admissions comes from the source. While NIDA is notorious among advocates as a source of resistance to reform like ending marijuana prohibition. The director sides with advocates on the fundamental principle that substance misuse should not be under criminal jurisdiction.

The punishment of imprisonment often leads to isolation. This can be a worsening factor for drug misuse, addiction, and relapse. “It also raises the risk of early death from a wide variety of causes,” the director said.

Instead of coming out and saying specifically decriminalization is the path forward. Volkow says that more research is essential. In order to establish the effectiveness and impact of alternatives based in public health.

The NIDA is exploring research partnerships with state and local agencies and private health systems to develop ways to eliminate systemic barriers to addiction care. They are also funding research on the effects of alternative models of regulating and decriminalizing drugs.

While NIDA might not be considered a champion of progressive drug policy. The current director has conceded that existing federal drug laws are not working. They are also one of the main agencies behind a new development in federal sanctions for marijuana research.

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