I recently ran across an article, and a comic describing an experiment that redefines how we think about addiction. The basic gist is that it isn’t a personal flaw, that addiction is more about environment than anything else. It was really eye-opening and I invite you to check it out.
But it got me thinking…
(TRIGGER WARNING: drugs, addiction, incarceration)
I fucking hate addiction. I hate that I’ve watched my brother come within inches of drinking himself to death. I hate that my friend is in rehab, that he can’t stop shooting heroin. I hate watching my friends talk about their friends that have died, that have OD’d. I hate seeing people spiral into that dark place where I can’t reach them anymore. I hate that it’s such a part of my life, that it’s such a part of my friends’ lives.
But how does my experience, and their experiences compare with others? I’m white, middle-class, from one of the wealthiest counties in Maryland. I recently moved to Baltimore, and I live in one of the white neighborhoods (yes, Baltimore is still segregated). My friends might be getting addicted, but they’re not getting arrested, they’re white. Peoples’ experiences with addiction and law enforcement are dependent on their race.
Statistically, white people don’t get arrested for possession of Marijuana. Black people do. The sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine are still horrifying. There are far more black people in prison than white people.
America is built on centuries of white supremacy and racism. The War on Drugs is just one manifestation.
I don’t want the solution to be putting more white people in jail. I don’t want the solution to be incarceration equality. I don’t want anyone to be in jail. I want addiction to be less of a problem. I want people to have resources to get help. In 2001 Portugal decriminalized drugs, and invested in treatment, rather than incarceration. It worked. They decided drug addiction was a health problem, not a crime. Addiction rates have been cut in half.
And every time I think about that I cry. There are whole communities decimated by drug use, and instead of getting help, they get police surveillance and harassment. America is taking people who are sick, and putting them in cages.
Something has to change. We need a society that encourages health, that allows people to be economically stable and fulfilled. That gives people hope, and the opportunity to live a life without addiction.
Unruly Bodies 
From a psychological perspective I can attribute much of this to the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill that occurred in this country back in the 70’s. What began as a “well intentioned initiative” quickly led people who were mentally ill seeking treatment however they could, by any means necessary. Accompanied with a for profit medical industry, people who could no longer afford prescriptions or treatment sought out alternatives and so the never ending cycle of addiction-rehab-relapse-repeat began. I have been an advocate for the legalization of many “illicit” drugs so that we may focus our energies on treatments and not enforcement. (http://www.leap.cc/)
From a personal perspective, I have never had to intimately witness anyone I love battle addiction but I do live in Baltimore City (and the blue lights tell me I’m in a neighborhood that requires legal supervision, I doubt your “white neighborhoods” have those) so I witness the effects of drug addiction daily. I wonder what the imprisonment of people with addictions is intended to solve? What is supposed to come of it? When will people realize that this system is broken; it isn’t working and we need a better solution. How much longer can we wait?
Yes! Such an important point. First, I’m so sorry for your experiences with addiction within your family and friends. I too have never had to witness addiction, so I can only imagine the effect it’s had on you. But I really like that you took something that we tend to personalize and institutionalize it. In our Gender and Women’s Studies classes we talk endlessly about the effects of taking an institutional problem and making it personal; it becomes isolated and we stop looking for answers in the bigger picture. I agree that criminalizing addicts is NOT the solution. Not only do all of your points make sense, but the act of imprisonment is entirely detrimental to any kind of rehabilitation, whether it’s drug use or theft or “worse”. The psychological damage that prison can create, the reputation we give people once they’ve been imprisoned, the time they spend away from society… these are isolating and we are robbing them of any real, genuine chance of recovery and rehabilitation. We absolutely need to be looking at treatment for drug use. Criminalizing it is really saying, “We don’t care. We’re not going to try to help you. And we definitely won’t be accepting any responsibility for the circumstances that led you here.” You are right, it’s time for a change.
I have never thought about addiction as something environmental. It has always been an individual issue that they have to deal with. Not something that one’s surrounding area can greatly impact. I think of my own brother who is currently struggling with alcoholism, and a drug problem. To look at his addiction in terms of the environment he has grown up in, is interesting and scary. Of course in high school when my brother got arrested for dealing drugs on campus, he got off scotch free, instead of going into the system he got a tutor and was about to transfer to a new high school. When he got caught drinking in the woods when he was 14, instead of going into the system like a person of color would, he was brought home and my parents were the ones to deal with it. He didn’t get put into the system, but he also didn’t get the help needed or needs. I don’t think I will view addiction the same way after reading both your post and that comic. Instead of viewing and judging the person who is dealing with addiction in any form, I think it is vital for us to start examining the environment that creates a space for addiction.
Statistics on this topic are always staggering. Thank you for talking about this so openly…I truly wish the best for you friends and family.
Our system is flawed in regards to the help and treatment of addiction/alcoholism. Rehabs are RIDICULOUSLY expensive and frequently not covered by health insurance. There really aren’t many options for people to seek help, especially if they are in an environment where drugs are on every corner. It really is a multifaceted issue without a simple solution. Half a million people die each year due to drug addiction and alcoholism and yet it really is the elephant in the room sometimes.