Drug Decriminalization as a Response to Overdose in the United States

During the 12-month period ending in April 2021, over 100,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States – a 28.5% increase from the previous year. Initially attributed to prescription drug use and rising despair among white, working-class Americans, overdose in fact crosses race and class divides, and is now growing fastest among communities of color. The pandemic, which increased isolation and interruption of treatment, further exacerbated this situation. Despite the soaring death rate, public health responses continue to exist alongside ultra-punitive criminal justice approaches – perpetuating stigma and hindering access to life-saving services.

As a part of the Open Society Foundations Overdose Collaborative, the Global Drug Policy Program (GDPP) funds efforts to decriminalize the personal possession of drugs. This builds on the successful 2020 drug decriminalization ballot initiative in Oregon and operates with the understanding that criminalization undermines the effectiveness of public health and social welfare interventions - deterring those in need of services. In 2021, GDPP funded 22 projects across Maine, Maryland and New Jersey and fostered the growth of diverse, grassroots coalitions. This work is part of the larger Overdose Collaborative, which invests in state and federal level advocacy to end the overdose crisis, by advancing harm reduction and decriminalization approaches, and narrative change work on drugs, harm and race.

GDPP support led to: an increase in capacity of organizations and networks advocating for decriminalization; new evidence of the high costs of punitive drug policies; and state-level legislative victories in the drug policy space. These include the decriminalization of paraphernalia, protection of needle/syringe access, the introduction of drug decriminalization bills in state legislatures, and the release of thousands of individuals incarcerated for low-level drug offenses.

This presentation draws attention to projects supported by GDPP and discusses why drug decriminalization is essential to addressing the overdose crisis.