Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy
Join Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) in the Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy! We have created a full resolution, an organizing guide, and a one pager that breaks the ordinance down into 4 main sections: adopting a public health approach to controlled substances, reforming criminal codes, audit and tracking of expenses and fees paid, encouraging school systems to sunset the use of police in schools, and protections for parents when interacting with child protective services
While the movement to reform drug policy has made major strides in the last twenty years, rates of preventable drug overdose deaths continue to climb year after year and more than 360,000 people remain incarcerated for drug penalties. Highly stigmatized drugs remain criminalized in 49 U.S. states, leaving behind the most marginalized people who use drugs. People who use drugs continue to be subject to police violence, incarceration, and lack adequate health care and community support.
The SSDP network saw a clear need for additional resources to empower harm reduction advocates to change local municipal level policies directly related to local issues like overpolicing, student codes of conduct, and transitioning emergency services toward an approach of non-violence. This resolution is in service of supporting efforts by SSDP members, their families and allies toward articulating a vision for a post mass incarceration world.
Due to Students for Sensible Drug Policy reach across the U.S. and our chapter structure, SSDP is uniquely situated to make local policy change in multiple states and begin to directly end the War on Drugs by directing pressure at their town and county governments. The Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy is an effort to equip all SSDP members with clear policy grounded in science, reason and compassion. This resolution empowers all SSDP members and their allies to further the movement to end the war on drugs in their local context, with support from an international movement. Leveraging the expertise of young people worldwide toward local policy change is where the SSDP network can be most effective.
