Support for drug decriminalization on the rise among GOP voters, new poll shows how much
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Arrests, convictions and mass incarcerations have been at the heart of US drug policy since Richard Nixon launched the war on drugs nearly 51 years ago.
The first significant breakthrough in the field of drug decriminalization came in the form of the Drug Policy Alliance’s 2020 legislative proposal, Demantling the Federal Drug War: A Comprehensive Drug Decriminalization Framework, which aims to eliminate criminal sanctions for all possession or self-use amounts of controlled Substances, shifting resources towards a public health approach.
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Later that year, Oregonians approved a measure that marked an unprecedented shift in US drug policy history. Measure 110, passed by 58.8% of the vote in November, decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of all illegal drugs, including but not limited to cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, methamphetamine and LSD. It also creates a substance abuse and addiction support program.
In June 2021, U.S. Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Cori Bush (D-MO), working with the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), introduced the Drug Policy Reform Act (DPRA) — legislation that would put an end to seeks to find criminal sanctions for drug possession at the federal level. At the time, a poll by Data for Progress and The Appeal, which analyzes public opinion on drug prohibition and decriminalization, found that seven in 10 Americans say they believe federal drug policies aren’t working and need reform.
GOP support for drug decriminalization is growing
The new poll by Data For Progress and the People’s Action Institute found that a large majority of Americans, including most Republicans, support drug decriminalization.
While there are still 25% of those opposed to the reform, overall support for the proposal has increased by 10 percentage points since voters were asked about it last year.
The most recent poll, which included 1,260 likely voters and a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points, found that a majority of Republican voters (54%) support drug decriminalization, compared to 42% last year.
Democrats and Independents support the policy change with 82% and 75%, respectively.
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“Last year the state of Oregon decriminalized possession of small quantities of drugs. Instead of being prosecuted, a person who possesses small amounts of drugs will be fined (like a speeding ticket). A person can be exempted from the fine if they attend screening services such as treatment, housing, mental health care and employment. Would you support or oppose a similar measure nationwide,” a new decriminalization question was asked, providing more detail on the policy.
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Overdose centers are becoming increasingly popular
A national poll released Friday showed support for overdose prevention centers (OPCs) is also growing. Almost two-thirds of those surveyed support safe consumption locations.
New York City was the first in the US to open OPCs in November, where people can use illegal drugs and receive medical care and services. Three weeks after the OPCs opened, the NYC Health Department reported that the sites had saved dozens of lives by preventing at least 59 overdoses and that the sites had been used more than 2,000 times.
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With nearly two in five Americans either knowing or struggling with someone who has an addiction or overdose, OPCs are becoming a necessity.
To combat the record number of overdoses, President Joe Biden unveiled a new strategy for dealing with drug addiction and overdoses on Thursday. In his plan, Biden aims to expand access to drugs for opioid overdoses, increase law enforcement funding and expand sanctions against traffickers, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, the number of states taking steps to decriminalize drugs is increasing, including Vermont, Florida, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Washington State, to name a few.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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