| Substance use Fact vs. Myth | Policy |
|---|---|
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Using drugs will lead to a SUD.
MYTH. Only 10-30% of PWUD have an SUD. Majority of PWUD will never develop an SUD.
|
Fact or Fiction: For non-citizens, minor drug violations—like possessing small amounts of marijuana or selling $10 of drugs—can result in mandatory detention or deportation and make them ineligible for lawful immigration status or asylum.
Fact. Drug offenses were the second most common offense among people deported in 2019 (illegal entry was the most common).
|
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People who use drugs don’t care about their safety.
Myth. PWUD are generally very conscientious about using safely and reducing harms to themselves and others.
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What percentage of the 1.5 million drug arrests in 2019 were for possession only?
Correct. 87%. Drug offenses are the leading cause of arrest in the U.S. Every 23 seconds on average, someone is arrested for drug possession. Appearing in court for an arrest can force someone to have to miss work or familial obligations like childcare, and a drug conviction can lead to lifelong consequences like losing occupational or drivers licenses, housing, and educational opportunities.
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Drug suppliers (dealers) don’t care if it kills their consumers.
Myth. Most dealers aren’t trying to become murderers. Many use themselves.
|
Fact/Fiction: True or False: Black people - who are 13% of the U.S. population - make up 26% of all people arrested for drug offenses.
True: Even though evidence shows that people of all races use and sell drugs at similar rates.
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Substances like marijuana are fine and users are simple users; substances like opioids and meth are problematic and users are chaotic users/must have an SUD.
Myth. Any substance (food, candy, etc.) misuse can be problematic if the use is intended to avoid or distort reality.
|
Fact or Fiction: under federal law, once someone has been convicted of a felony drug conviction, housing authorities are required to ban access to public housing for three years.
Fact: Twelve states impose even longer bans, increasing the number of people turned away from stable housing due to misguided public housing policies. Harsh penalties that remove and restrict people from housing contribute to the negative outcomes the drug war supposedly seeks to prevent: harm to children, reduced education and employment, and deteriorating health (including increased overdose death).
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Doctors created the opioid epidemic by overprescribing; the solution is to crack down on prescribers.
The United States has seen a steady decrease in opioid prescribing rates (excluding Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) medications) since 2012, demonstrating the complexities and exacerbating harm that criminalization of substance use places on society.
|
Fact/Fiction: Syringe Service Programs lead to an increase in crime and drug use.
Fiction: Syringe services programs (SSPs) are an effective public health intervention that can reduce the transmission of HIV, HCV, and help provide services like healthcare without increasing illegal
injection of drugs. |
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