Public support for reinvesting resources from enforcing drug possession to health-promoting alternatives : A nationally representative poll of adults in the United States

Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V..

BACKGROUND: The legal enforcement of drug possession is associated with a host of negative consequences for people who use drugs (PWUD), has demonstrated little effectiveness at curbing drug use, and has contributed to lasting financial, social, and health-related racial disparities in Black and Brown communities in the United States (U.S.). One policy alternative is reinvesting resources typically used for enforcing drug possession into health-promoting services such as drug treatment or harm reduction that can better serve the needs of PWUD than the criminal legal system. We sought to characterize the prevalence and correlates of national public support for this reinvestment in the U.S.

METHODS: A nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (N = 1,212) completed the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Civic Life and Public Health Survey (wave three, fielded November 11-30, 2020). The outcome is support for reinvestment of resources spent on enforcing drug possession into health-promoting alternatives (i.e., drug treatment, harm reduction, housing support, or community-based resources). We measured potential correlates including socio-demographics and social/political attitudes, including political ideology (conservative, moderate, liberal) and racial resentment toward the Black community. Analyses accounted for complex survey weights.

RESULTS: Weighted prevalence of support for reinvestment of resources was 80 %. Multivariable logistic regression (controlling for confounders) showed that white respondents were more likely than Black (OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.08, 5.87) to favor reinvestment. Respondents with moderate (OR = 0.34, 95 % CI = 0.15-0.79) or conservative (OR = 0.21, 95 % CI = 0.09-0.50) political ideology (compared to liberal) and medium (OR = 0.26, 95 % CI = 0.09-0.74) or high (OR = 0.12, 95 % CI = 0.04-0.35) levels of racial resentment (compared to low) were less likely to support reinvestment.

CONCLUSION: There is substantial national support for reinvesting resources into health-promoting alternatives, though political ideology and racial resentment temper support. Results can inform targeted messaging to increase support for moving drug policy from the criminal legal sphere toward public health.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:126

Enthalten in:

The International journal on drug policy - 126(2024) vom: 29. Apr., Seite 104370

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Tomko, Catherine [VerfasserIn]
Rouhani, Saba [VerfasserIn]
LaSalle, Lindsay [VerfasserIn]
Sherman, Susan G [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Health policy
Journal Article
Public policy
Racism
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Substance use

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 27.04.2024

Date Revised 27.04.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104370

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM369219252