By Ifetayo Harvey and Megan Farrington
We asked you to weigh in on DPA’s work and how the drug war has affected you, and more than 3,000 of you shared your personal stories or comments in our survey. We heard from people who use drugs and people who don’t, from parents, students, physicians, attorneys and veterans.
You shared stories of struggling to find a job because of a drug arrest, of suffering from chronic pain and not being able to legally access medical marijuana, of having your home raided in the middle of the night. You have family members who struggle with addiction or are in prison. Even if you don’t see yourself as being personally harmed by the war on drugs, you are angry at how your civil liberties are being eroded and how your tax dollars are being wasted.
The range of responses reinforces what we already know: the harms of the drug war are varied and far-reaching. We are humbled and honored to work on your behalf for compassionate drug policies that promote public safety and health.
How do your personal views match up with those of other drug policy reformers? Here are some highlights from the survey:
- 85 percent think marijuana should be legalized and regulated for adults.
- 92 percent believe we should stop locking people up for possession of any drug for personal use.
- 81 percent believe the Drug Enforcement Administration should be reformed or eliminated.
- 43 percent say that they have been personally affected by the war on drugs.
Do you want to share your thoughts? It’s not too late to take our survey.
Source: Drug Policy Alliance – make a donation
