Help SSDP End the War on Drugs!

1. Drug abuse is a public health issue, not a criminal justice issue.
2. Nobody should ever be put into prison solely for what they put into their bodies, so long as they pose no danger to others.
3. The War on Drugs is racist in its enforcement. While 13% of drug users are African American, they account for 67% of those imprisoned.
4. Drug addiction is a serious health problem, and treatment should be made available to those who need it.
5. The best way to put violent drug dealers out of business is to end prohibition and regulate drugs.

Health - Addiction and Substance Abuse

Eighty-nine years ago, the U.S. ratified the 18th amendment, making alcohol prohibition the law of the land.

After fourteen years of bootlegging, speakeasies, toxic moonshine, and thugs like Al Capone getting rich off prohibition, we had the good sense to repeal the 18th amendment.

But prohibition still exists. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and other "illicit drugs," remain illegal, yet they are widely available because of a multi-billion dollar black market.

As young people who have seen the impact of drug abuse on our families and communities, we are genuinely concerned about addiction, but we know that the War on Drugs is making the situation infinitely worse.

We may not know what a "drug policy utopia" looks like, but we sure know that what we're doing now isn't working. We can only begin to find answers by putting an end to the failed War on Drugs, and embracing alternatives that prioritize public health, privacy, and human rights. Students for Sensible Drug Policy is the youth movement working to do just that.

http://www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com