South Dakota declared war on meth. But critics say state policies doom any hope of change
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
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