South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem defended her state’s antidrug campaign, saying she “knew it would be provocative” and that “we wanted people to start talking about meth in a way that they never have before.” (South Dakota Department of Social Services) By ERIN B. LOGAN STAFF WRITER NOV. 21, 2019 4 AM For all the ridicule South Dakota is receiving for its new antidrug slogan — “Meth. We’re On It.” — experts in substance abuse say the most important story is being missed. South Dakota is the only state that classifies ingestion of illegal substances as a felony, a hard-line approach that has widely been shown to make it harder to break the cycle of addiction. Even if a user manages to go clean, a felony conviction makes it more difficult to find a job, especially one with health insurance, increasing the chances of a relapse. The law in effect “criminalizes addiction,” said Libby Skarin, policy director for the state’s American Civil Liberties Union. It
Comments
Post a Comment