In comparison to the crack era, do you think that current drug users are being treated fairly ?

Question

During the Crack Era users were tossed in jail and in some cases left to die. Families torn apart and harsh sentencing. Now, as the demographic of users has shifted, governments are looking to make "safe spaces" for usage, softer punishments and overdose meds to help users. Now putting all of that in context. Do you think that the treatment is fair? Why or why not? That's the focus of the convo.

Answer

This is a hard one Jus. I have lots of thoughts here.

So first, is it fair? No absolutely not. Black and other people of color have historically always been treated worse by the justice system. 
The crack years were particular terrible. That is undeniable fact.

Ok so second, do I agree with the changes? yes. I do favor harm reduction and legalization. Big ass However though, I don't think that (primarily white) opioid users should have access to that in a way everyone else does not. If we're reevaluating how to handle drugs and drug addiction it must be across the board. I hope that happens, but I don't have much faith in the system honestly.

As a side note I just finished reading A Colony in a Nation which deals with racial disparity in the U.S. Most of it is probably review for many CC regulars, but I strongly recommend it.

Answer

A part of me hopes that the older generation has died out, and younger people taking official roles are acknowledging that addiction is more of a disease than a bad repetitive decision.... but I cannot ignore the classification of users for certain drugs and how certain people are offered help and other certain people are criminalized for it.

Answer

Drug users have never really been treated fairly.
However, it's really interesting that ever since hard drugs have shifted to be a "white" problem, lawmakers are scrambling to decriminalize and "find solutions," where when it was framed as an "intercity" problem, we got the war on drugs. It's one of the most blatant examples of institutionalized racism.

Answer

In comparison, WHITE drug users are treated better. But it's still certainly not fair. Telling someone not to complain because it's better than the crack era is like telling someone with an amputated arm to suck it up, at least they didn't get both arms amputated. People are still allowed to complain about the way drug users are treated. Things may have improved a little, but they're no where near perfect

Answer

I think we have definitely come a long way, but based on a previous poll where people thing drug addiction is a choice, I think we have a way to go. I think a huge issue in America is that we treat people who are sick with diseases we can't see as criminals. Mix that in with the 'drugs are bad' mindset and you end up with prisons full of addicts and mentally ill.

Answer

Idk I think it's more complex than that. I think it's an inaccurate but popular narrative that demographic of users has shifted (suggesting from mostly low income, people of color to wealthy or middle class white people) when in reality white people across all financial levels have been using drugs at the same rate as people of color the entire time. It puts an inaccurate and near white supremacist spin on the history of drug use - in my opinion, as it paints people of color as the consistent drug users and whites as "new"er to popular drug use.

I think the issue of drug rehabilitation and compassion runs more on financial lines. Rehab is still thousands of dollars. You'll still get your kids taken from you if you test positive giving birth at the hospital (many hospitals are more likely to test moms of color, regardless of income, for drugs due to racist nurses but most hospitals, at least in my area, automatically drug test all wic/snap moms - a group more likely to be white due to a higher percentage of white recipients nationally).

Clearly when dealing with the police and drugs racism is the main weapon of choice behind selective enforcement and treatment once arrested. But it shouldn't be mistaken that cops give any sort of gentle treatment to white people running a meth lab or anything like that.

I think the rich have always had access to resources related to drug rehab in a discrete and respectful way, they've also had access to mental health resources.

There might be more compassion around the topic in general nowadays because people are talking about it more. Their drug issues or family members. There's less of it being a family secret, skeleton in the closet, shunned family member kind of thing. So it's more aired out and people are making space to talk about their own experiences to a larger audience - drawing the connection between mental health and drug use, between poverty and drug use.

Idk what do you think about all of that?

Answer

When you say fairly are you referring to how they are not sentenced 5x more than POC, and that the government actually gives a damn about this epidemic compared to the crack-cocaine?

Answer

Looking at it just in comparison? No, because people in the crack epidemic were treated unfairly. They were treated as criminals with some kind of moral failing instead of as addicts with a disease.

Looking at it in a vacuum and only considering how addicts are treated now? I would say it's getting better, but I think racism and classism still play a role in how an individual addict may be treated.

Answer

From a sociological perspective, basically it's because crack was associated with POC and heroin is associated with white folks, so society "cares" more. So to answer your question, yes, and it's a real thing.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/opinion/when-addiction-has-a-white-face.html?referer=https://amp-cleveland-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/amp.cleveland.com/v1/articles/17980138/heroin_vs_crack_society_shifts_in_its_treatment_of_addicts.amp?amp_js_v=0.1

Answer

In comparison hell yea, police officers even carry around antidotes. I'm glad they stepped up their treatment of addicts but they way things used to be was absolutely disgusting. It's hard to say if our views have shifted solely bc the demographic is white people tho, simply because as a whole we have changed in the way we view many things and with that shift came more people accepting that addiction is a disease and doesn't go away with a jail sentence.

In comparison to the crack era, do you think that current drug users are being treated fairly ?

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