Background

Substance abuse is a serious issue that exacts a devastating toll on individuals and communities - since the late 20th century, governments, law enforcement officials, and civil society organizations have attempted to organize responses to the widespread production, trafficking, and consumption of narcotic drugs, in countries all over the world. However, it is worth examining the assumptions on which these responses are based - substance abuse is commonly perceived as an individual or moral failing, with victims of substance abuse held accountable for an affliction that is very often far more complicated than a question of individual choice or decision-making. The perniciousness of this perspective lies in the ways in which it informs policy, and how that policy, in turn, impacts individuals and communities. These policies often place undue emphasis on the role of  law-enforcement rather than healthcare, and punishing victims rather than rehabilitating them. Most worryingly, there exists a considerable gap between these policies, and the extensive research that compelling argues that there exists a better way. 

First and foremost, substance abuse must be understood as a public health crisis, arising out of structural factors such as poverty and other forms of deprivation. Unsurprisingly, substance abuse is particularly rampant and destructive among marginalized communities, which are often plagued by a lack of preventative resources (such as awareness and education) as well as channels for rehabilitation, while bearing the brunt of destructive and ineffective policies such as excessive policing. In seeking to more effectively address this serious problem, it is important that we reformulate the ways in which we think about substance abuse, instead emphasizing the importance of evidence-based best practices backed up by extensive research, that address the root cause of this epidemic, rather than stigmatizing and penalizing the most vulnerable amongst us for structural failings well beyond the control of individuals.