Reject Drug War-Era Policies

Act Now

Lessons from more than 50 years of the drug war have taught us that drug penalties don't deter drug use or sale. They don't end overdose deaths. The only thing that they've ever done is to drive arrests and mass incarceration, particularly among Black and brown communities.

New Jersey cannot keep relying on punitive drug war-era policies that we already know do not work like S3325 and S3096. Instead, we must shift its approach to drug use from criminalization and punishment to one that prioritizes public health and access to opportunity.

Message Recipients:
Your State Senator
Your State Representatives
Governor Phil Murphy
Senate President Nick Scutari
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin
Senator Paul Sarlo
Senator Joseph Lagana
Senator Vin Gopal

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Your Message

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Subject

Over the last few years, New Jersey has taken meaningful steps towards dismantling the drug war, with the passage of cannabis legalization and decriminalization, and new investments in harm reduction resources. Yet these advances are threatened by S3325 and S3096, legislation under consideration that would significantly increase criminal penalties for drug violations that are already severely criminalized under current New Jersey law and roll back our State's progress.

Message Body

Overwhelming data from over fifty years of the drug war prove that we cannot criminalize our way to better public health outcomes. While the stated intent of these bills may be to prevent overdose deaths, it is important to note that neither of these bills will accomplish that goal. Drug penalties do not deter drug use or sale or end overdose deaths. Instead, they only drive arrests and incarceration and make it harder for people with substance use disorder to access the services and health care that they need.

New Jersey arrests Black residents for drug war violations at 3.3 times the rate of white residents, despite white people both using and selling criminalized drugs at a higher rate. And New Jersey's prisons also have the worst racial disparities between Black and white people - 12.5 times - of any state. The two bills under consideration would only exacerbate both disparities, and I urge lawmakers to reject both bills.

Under the proposed policies, individuals would face first-degree penalties - which come with ten to twenty years of imprisonment and fines of up to $200,000 - for weights of drugs that are very low and commonly carried by people who use drugs. Given the prevalence of fentanyl in the drug supply, anyone carrying a small quantity of almost any illicit substance could find themselves impacted by this bill, particularly when the line between whether someone is charged with drug possession or drug selling is discretionary in nature and frequently impacted by racial bias.

This is the time for action and leadership. In order to prevent overdose deaths, we cannot keep relying on punitive drug war-era policies that we already know do not work. Instead, New Jersey must shift its approach to drug use from criminalization and punishment to one that prioritizes public health and access to opportunity. There are evidence-based interventions - such as harm reduction and access to housing and jobs - that have been proven to reduce overdoses and keep people safer, and lawmakers should invest in those solutions. I urge you to vote no on S3325 and S3096.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]

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Reject Drug War-Era Policies

Act Now

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