President Barack Obama recently spoke on a panel at the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit. Held in Atlanta at the AmericasMart, the event featured a panel discussion on the growing use of heroin and opiate use.
In recent years, there has been an increase in use among individuals who reside in suburban and rural areas. It’s a contrast from the media’s past perception of drug users being poor and uneducated minorities who reside in the inner city. There was also the factor of how drug users are criminalized and are rarely provided with mental health services.
During the panel discussion, President Obama shared how drug criminalization affected poor minorities and the added need for health services to assist those who are addicted to drugs.
“It’s heartbreaking,” President Obama said. “And the fact is that for too long, we have viewed the problem of drug abuse generally in our society through the lens of the criminal justice system.
Now, we are putting enormous resources into drug interdiction. When it comes to heroin that is being shipped in from the south, we are working very aggressively with the Mexican government to prevent an influx of more and more heroin.
I think we have to be honest about this — Part of what has made it previously difficult to emphasize treatment over the criminal justice system has to do with the fact that the populations affected in the past were viewed as, or stereotypically identified as poor, minority, and as a consequence, the thinking was it is often a character flaw in those individuals who live in those communities, and it’s not our problem they’re just being locked up.
And I think that one of the things that’s changed in this opioid debate is a recognition that this reaches everybody.”
President Obama recently announced a $1.1 billion plan to expand addiction treatment and increase the coverage for mental health and substance abuse services.
Photos: Jamie Thompson
