USA. Bereaved Parents Weaponized by DEA to Back More Drug War
USA. Bereaved Parents Weaponized by DEA to Back More Drug War
There is no grief like that of a parent who has lost a child. The overdose crisis has seen countless parents, their numbers swelling daily, suffer the unthinkable and bury their children.
For over 100 years this country has attempted to eliminate certain drug use through policies based on the interdiction of drugs and the arrest and incarceration of people who use and sell them. And for over 100 years these policies have failed. This failure is evidenced by over 109,000 deaths in 2022 and a projection of over 1,000,000 deaths in the decade 2020 to 2029.
For over seven years I have served as a board member of Broken No More, an organization founded by and primarily representing parents who lost their child to overdose. Our members understand that to keep other parents from burying their children, this country must discard its drug war, and instead pursue policies based on public health, science and harm reduction.
But over the last few years, other bereaved parents have formed organizations with views diametrically opposed to those of Broken No More. And they have become a powerful force in this country.
Against all evidence and humanity, many states are implementing more punitive drug laws, such as lower amounts of fentanyl triggering mandatory minimum sentences, sentencing enhancements for fentanyl possession and sales, and drug-induced homicide (DIH) laws. (Filter, USA, 06.06.2023)