Opioid crisis: Another mechanism used to perpetuate American racism.

OBJECTIVES

Recently, driven largely by opioid-related deaths, President Donald Trump proclaimed that the opioid problem was now a national emergency. What looks like a radical shift to a more compassionate drug policy-one that favors treatment over incarceration-has encouraged many to hope that there will be far fewer drug-related arrests and deaths than there were in previous decades.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

We present evidence showing that large numbers of drug-related arrests persist and that racial discrimination is evident in opioid-related arrests. In addition, conventional strategies implemented to address opioid-related deaths have proven inadequate.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose solutions grounded in reason and evidence rather than moralism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).