Communities Organizing Against the Drug War

Teachers Work to Avoid Drug Tests

In Hawai'i, controversy has arisen over the refusal by the state's teachers to submit to drug testing. The state alleges that a contract recently agreed to by the state and the union called for imposition of random drug testing. The union argues that suspicion-less testing is unconstitutional at the state and federal level and cannot be legally implemented.

The Honolulu Advertiser reported on Aug. 6, 2008 ("Hawai'i Teachers' Union Reneging on Drug Testing, State Says") that "State officials blasted the public school teachers union yesterday for attempting to renege on its agreement to accept random drug testing. The Hawaii State Teachers Association agreed to a new contract in June 2007 that included pay increases and random drug testing. After getting most of the pay increases, the union has fought attempts to implement the drug testing."

According to the Advertiser, "On July 18, the state filed a complaint with the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board against the union, alleging the union has failed to negotiate the terms of the testing program in good faith. The complaint was filed in response to a July 17 letter in which the union said it has learned, since the contract was signed, that random testing is not consistent with state and federal constitutions. The union has filed a petition asking the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board to make a declaratory ruling on the legality of a random drug testing program for teachers. 'Today, both parties know much more about the legal issues surrounding drug testing that were not known at the time of the initial agreement,' HSTA Executive Director Mike McCartney wrote in a letter to DOE Superintendent Pat Hamamoto. 'We cannot knowingly agree to procedures that violate the state and federal constitutions. Any agreement of this type would subject the state and all of us to unnecessary litigation,' McCartney wrote."

The Advertiser noted that "The new contract included pay increases of up to 11 percent over 18 months, most of which already have taken effect.The contract called for the Board of Education and the teachers union to 'establish a reasonable suspicion and random drug and alcohol testing procedures applicable to all Bargaining Unit 5 ( teachers ) ... and implement such plan no later than June 30, 2008.'"

Back to top

Cleveland Mayor: "We Expect More Confrontations"

The city of Cleveland, OH, is bracing for the possibility of heightened violence as its mayor, Frank Jackson, announces a crackdown by law enforcement.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on Jan. 10, 2008 ( "Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson Expects Crackdown to Result in Violence") that "Jackson told the police this week to be more aggressive in targeting gun-toting drug dealers. He has said repeatedly that he expects there to be violent, perhaps deadly, run-ins between police and criminals. 'This is not a game,' Jackson said Wednesday. 'People are killing each other. We expect more confrontations.' At least one local defense lawyer worries that the cornerstone of Jackson's plan -- pairing police with federal agents to seek out and confront criminals carrying guns -- will result in police indiscriminately going after young black men. 'What troubled me is the idea that police officers can tell who is concealing a weapon,' said defense attorney Terry Gilbert, who has sued several police officers over the years, claiming they violated people's civil rights."

According to the Plain Dealer, "Jackson officially announced his plan at a City Hall news conference Wednesday. It comes as the city's homicide total hit a 13-year high last year. Undercover police and federal agents will do nearly daily stings, observing people in high-crime areas. If they suspect the people are carrying guns, the undercover officers will call in patrol officers who will approach the suspects and ask if they are carrying weapons. Jackson and Police Chief Michael McGrath acknowledged that most of these operations will occur on the predominantly black East Side, but denied suggestions that the gun stings will result in racial profiling. Certain areas will be targeted based on crime statistics. "

The Plain Dealer noted that "Two councilmen applauded the plan, but warned that Jackson has much work to do in selling it to the black community. Councilman Kevin Conwell said the relationship between some black residents and the police has become adversarial. 'They see them just like a military force,' said Conwell, who leads council's Public Safety Committee. 'If you bring in a military force, you better have a relationship with the community.'"

Back to top

Following Up On Successful Drug Policy Conference, City Of Hartford Issues White Paper

The City of Hartford, CT, which co-sponsored a conference on illicit drug control policy in October 2005, has issued a White Paper to follow up on the event. Following is a summary.

"The conference 'Illicit Drugs: Burden and Policy' sponsored by the City of Hartford, held at Trinity College and underwritten by the Aetna Foundation, provided a unique opportunity for multiple stakeholders to begin a dialogue around the problem of drugs in our city. Law enforcement officers on a local, state, and national level met with advocates of change as well as ordinary citizens. Participants reflected on the implications of illicit drug use, the 'drug war' and societal needs for treatment, rehabilitation, recovery and re-integration of illicit drug users into useful and selfgratifying roles.
"The Present Situation
"The 'drug war', officially waged for nearly 35 years and unofficially for much longer, has not produced results that satisfy most citizens and analysts. Drugs remain a significant problem at all levels of society, across ethnic, racial, economic, and educational lines. Drugs are cheaper, of higher (though not consistent) quality and more accessible – especially to the very young. Research data strongly suggest that traditional prevention models (such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education or D.A.R.E.) do not have long term success and in fact may be less successful. Treatment beds are in short supply and supervised treatment programs are lacking in adequate numbers and funds. Coordination between the Department of Corrections (DOC) and post-incarceration programs, though much improved, is still inadequate to meet the demand.
"Crime and Punishment
"A shocking percentage of people are imprisoned in our country –the United States has the highest per capita prison population in the world – for non-violent, drug related offenses. Although the proportion of our citizens using illegal drugs is spread across all segments of society, a vast majority of those imprisoned for drug related crimes are the poor and the minority populations. Citizens released from prisons having served their time for drug related offenses carry the stigma of ‘drug felon,’ limiting their ability to find work, obtain a mortgage, or receive federal college loans. Children are being lured or coerced from school to the streets to participate in a drug economy, which offers an (unrealistic) opportunity to become rich. The double problem of the addicted citizen and the crime-related economy supporting that addiction imposes a cost on society which must be paid using the same resources needed for improving education, public safety and quality of life. As a result, a small segment of society is holding the remainder hostage in an environment of danger, fear, low educational attainment, and low job opportunities.
"The Economy of the Drug War
"At the conference we learned that about $50 billion is spent (mostly for interdiction) by federal, state and local agencies ($20 billion by federal agencies) on the various aspects of waging the drug war while another $165-200 billion exchanges hands in the criminal drug economy nationwide. By extrapolation on a per capita basis, that would suggest these efforts cost Connecticut taxpayers $1.5-2.0 billion/year. Even if a way were found to divert some of these funds to a better system of dealing with drug use and addiction, no one at the conference was able, for instance, to say what the cost of establishing an effective, flexible, personal treatment program of appropriate dimensions would cost here in Connecticut. The figure in other states has been described at $6,000/yr. Compare this to an average cost per year of over $30,000 for incarcerating a person in Connecticut.
"Now What?
"Most people involved in the conference believe we could do better than the present drug policy. Recognizing that law enforcement officials are given the difficult and often dangerous job of carrying out policy they have not authored, participants said that ways should be explored to foster collaboration so police are more fully invested in the policies and enforcement methods. Attendees believed initial steps should be taken now and conversation over additional steps could begin simultaneously. Those initial steps could be advocated in concert with groups already active in drug policy legislative initiatives."

Back to top

Federal Reserve Bank High School Essay Contest Focuses On Economic Lessons From Illegal Drug Markets

It was announced in late October 2005 that "the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has decided to ask the following question for its 2005–2006 Student Essay Contest: 'What economic lessons can be drawn from this picture of an illegal drug deal?'"

According to the Minneapolis Fed's announcement, "As this picture illustrates, however, making a product illegal does not eliminate the market for it. The Office of National Drug Control Policy estimates that Americans spent about $65 billion on illegal drugs in 2000, more than the amount spent on cigarettes. Worldwide, the drug business is worth about $400 billion. Drugs are also a big concern to politicians, with government spending an estimated $40 billion to $60 billion annually to fight the 'war on drugs.'
"Potential profits from selling drugs have led to violent crime in America’s inner cities and elsewhere, causing some to ask whether there is a better way to address the problem. Some have proposed tougher enforcement. Others have suggested moving away from a criminal law strategy toward a public health approach, and still others have proposed legalizing drugs altogether.
"These are emotionally charged and controversial issues, but perhaps by taking the cool view of an economist we can gain some perspective. Fundamental concepts, such as externalities, cost-benefit analysis and black market economics, can shed light on policies and individual behavior related to illegal drugs."

Student essay deadline is March 24, 2006. Click here for more information about the Minneapolis Fed's student essay contest. Also, read this article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Oct. 22, 2005, "Not Your Typical Essay Contest: 3 Pages On Cash, Drugs, Crime".

Back to top

Exit Strategy for the War on Drugs

Exit Strategy for the War on Drugs: Toward a New Legal Framework – the King County Bar Association Drug Policy Project 2005 Conference will be held December 1st & 2nd, 2005, at the Red Lion Hotel, Downtown Seattle.

Join public officials, drug policy experts and scholars from around the world to discuss a workable alternative to drug prohibition.

Registration begins Nov. 1, 2005. Click here for a conference flyer.
For more information or to reserve a spot, please contact Isela Gutiérrez at iselag @ kcba.org or call 206-267-7001.

Back to top

City Of Vancouver: Marijuana Legalization Part Of Plan To Prevent Substance Abuse Harm

The City of Vancouver, BC, issued "Preventing Harm from Psychoactive Substance Use" in June 2005. As the Vancouver Sun reported on June 8, 2005 ( "Vancouver To Press Ottawa To Legalize And Tax Marijuana"), "A City of Vancouver report backed by the mayor recommends Canada legalize and regulate marijuana as part of a comprehensive drug-abuse prevention strategy for everything from methamphetamine production to alcoholism among seniors. The marijuana recommendation, one of two dozen in the report being released today, would allow people trying to prevent drug abuse to talk to teenagers about it realistically, the way they do with alcohol and cigarettes, and also limit dangerous use. It's a strategy that Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell endorses wholeheartedly, saying it's preferable to decriminalization, which imposes a fine instead of a criminal charge for use, but doesn't address the issue of supply. 'I think the decriminalization doesn't do anybody any good. It sends the message that it's okay, but that it's a crime to obtain it.' He says if marijuana were legalized, the community could benefit by being able to tax production."

The plan has met with approval from a number of quarters. As the Sun reported, "Others say that putting marijuana on the same level as alcohol and tobacco legally would allow teachers and prevention counsellors to talk about it strategically, rather than just avoiding the topic. 'All that teachers can do now is say it's illegal,' says the city's drug policy coordinator Don MacPherson, who wrote the 67-page report. If marijuana was treated like alcohol, he said, teachers could provide the same kind of advice they do when trying to prevent teenagers from risky drinking behaviour. However, he also emphasized that Canada should learn from the mistakes it made with alcohol and tobacco, which have been turned into commercial products, heavily advertised and promoted, which has led to problems stemming from the abuse of those two substances that far exceeds those of illegal drugs."

The Sun noted that "The report is the latest offensive in Vancouver's attempt to tackle the city's drug problems, which have contributed to an epidemic of HIV and hepatitis infections unequalled in North America, the deterioration of the city's inner-city Downtown Eastside neighbourhood, and a property-crime rate among the highest in Canada. It's part of the city's Four Pillars strategy, which emphasizes an approach that is an equal mix of law enforcement, prevention, treatment and harm reduction for drug users. That policy was adopted four years ago, amid some controversy because of the harm-reduction aspects, which included a recommendation to create a health facility where users could go to inject drugs under the supervision of health-care workers. Campbell was elected as mayor in 2002, in part because he and his party said they would work to aggressively implement the policy. The supervised injection site was opened in the fall of 2003."

A copy of the report is available by clicking here as well as from the Vancouver city government site.

Back to top

National Organization For Women (NOW) Adopts Anti-Drug War Resolution At 2005 National Conference

The National Organization for Women (NOW) adopted a resolution at its 2005 national convention opposing the war on drugs, noting its horrific effects on women and women's rights.

The text of the resolution, "Women's Rights - Another Casualty of the 'War on Drugs'," follows:

"WHEREAS, the incarceration rate of women convicted of low-level drug-related offenses has increased dramatically in the past decade as a result of our nation's relentless "War on Drugs," and poor women and women of color have been disproportionately targeted for drug law enforcement and receive long mandatory prison sentences that have little relationship to their actions or culpability; and
"WHEREAS, two thirds of women in prison have at least two children who are displaced as a result of their incarceration, often forced to live in the care of family, friends, or state-sponsored foster care where they may be at increased risk of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; and
"WHEREAS, women's unique patterns of drug abuse and addiction and special treatment needs are inadequately addressed, as women often turn to drugs to cope with undiagnosed or untreated mental illness, and/or the trauma of physical or sexual abuse or other stresses particular to women; and
"WHEREAS, the intersection of substance use and pregnancy are increasingly the focus of drug law enforcement; and
"WHEREAS, violence against women and other circumstances specific to women's involvement in drug-related activities are often overlooked or ignored in sentencing, such as situations in which women who have been emotionally, physically, or sexually abused by partners involved in drug operations are dependent on them and unlikely to turn to the authorities; and
"WHEREAS, after incarceration, women continue to bear the stigma and burden of post-conviction sanctions that constitute collateral consequences of incarceration impeding their reintegration into society, including denial of access to public housing, public assistance and food stamps, higher education aid and civic participation, effectively rendering them second-class citizens;
"THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) iterate its opposition to the "War on Drugs" and in its stead support an approach to drug use and addiction that promotes compassion, public health and human rights; and
"THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW educate its membership about the harms the "War on Drugs" inflicts on women, using the NOW web site, NOW materials and literature and regular NOW legislative updates including pending legislation that would negatively impact women; and
"BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that an ad-hoc committee be created to research current drug policy that has a particular impact on women and report back to the leadership and membership at the next national conference on a potential action plan to be implemented locally and nationally in conjunction with other organizations currently working toward the same objectives."

Back to top

King County, WA: King County Bar Association Leads Broad Coalition To Create Alternative To Drug War Policies

In Seattle, the King County (WA) Bar Association Drug Policy Project has been spearheading a comprehensive overview of drug policy. As reported by the Associated Press on March 4, 2005 ( "Washington State Groups Offer 'Exit Strategy' For The War On Drugs"), "A group of Washington doctors, religious leaders and lawyers has offered an 'exit strategy' for the war on drugs - a proposal that would aim to dry up the black market for heroin, marijuana and other substances by having the state regulate their distribution. 'How we respond to drug abuse should not be more costly and cause more problems than the drugs themselves,' said John Cary, president of the King County Bar Association, which is leading the effort. 'We've got to find another way.' For now, the group is merely asking the Legislature to form a commission to recommend ways the state could regulate the drug trade. A bill introduced in the state Senate would do just that, though the idea faces serious opposition. But the bar association also released a report Thursday that outlined what such regulation might look like: Registered addicts would be able to obtain limited quantities of heroin at state-licensed clinics or doctor's offices. That model has proved successful in some European countries, proponents said."

The AP story noted that "Supporters include the Church Council of Greater Seattle, the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, the Washington State Pharmacy Association and Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility. They were quick to distance their proposal from 'legalizing' drugs, a term that suggests 'you can go to Wall Drug and get your heroin. That's not the case,' said Roger Goodman, director of the bar association's Drug Policy Project. He prefers the term 'medicalization.' Having the state put criminal gangs out of business and impose strict regulation of the drug trade would make the drugs scarcer, Goodman said. It would also dramatically cut how much the state spends imprisoning nonviolent drug offenders every year, a figure that tops $100 million, according to the report. The report suggested regulating marijuana with a system similar to state liquor stores or by simply allowing people to grow their own - just as the state allows the production of home-brewed beer. The report also offered legal reasoning for getting around federal drug laws, which are rooted in the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce. The state could withdraw from the war on drugs by ensuring that only Washington state residents register as addicts. Stiff penalties would be provided for anyone caught reselling the drugs, especially to minors. The bar association argues that states have power to oversee the health of their own citizens - an argument similar to the one being put forth to justify California's medical marijuana measure and Oregon's assisted-suicide law before the U.S. Supreme Court. Switzerland has a heroin program allowing about 1,300 addicts to shoot up at approved centers with government-provided heroin, and the annual cost of about $8 million is covered by the state's health insurance system on the grounds that addiction is an illness rather than a crime. Swiss authorities say the result has been a drop in drug-related offenses, and that overdose-related fatalities fell to a 16-year low of 167 in 2002. A clinic providing free heroin to addicts opened last month in Vancouver, British Columbia. The U.S. government would not back a similar program, David Murray of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in Washington, D.C., told The Associated Press last month. King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng said Thursday he disagreed with the proposal, but he credited the bar association for creating a dialogue that has helped lead to shorter prison terms and increased treatment for drug offenders in the past few years."

Click to download the King County report, "Effective Drug Control: Toward A New Legal Framework." Copies along with other supporting materials are also available on the KCBA Drug Policy Project website.

For more information about the King County report, check out the following articles:
"Making The Case To Legalize Drugs In Washington State," The Stranger, Feb. 24, 2005
"Give State Full Regulatory Control Of Illegal Drugs, County Bar Urges," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 4, 2005
"Drug War Strategy Assailed At Forum," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 10, 2005

Back to top

In Syracuse, NY, a call for an honest report of the city's drug war budget led to hearings before the city council on alternatives. As syndicated columnist Neal Peirce observed in his column "Can One City Reduce US Drug Law Madness" (St. Paul Pioneer Press, Jan. 3, 2005), "Can a single city do anything to change drug policies that are delivering terror to our inner city streets, diverting police, clogging our courts, breaking up families and making a once-proud America quite literally the incarceration capital of the world? It's tough because federal and state drug laws, passed by tragically misguided 'law-and-order' politicians, are highly intrusive. But Syracuse, N.Y., with a detailed analysis of drug law impact by outgoing City Auditor Minchin Lewis, followed up by recent city council hearings, is courageously asking tough questions and searching for alternatives. Lewis' audit, inspired by Syracuse drug reformer Nicolas Eyle, focused on the Syracuse police department. It discovered that 22 percent of the department's 28,800 arrests in a single year were for drug-related incidents, more than arrests for assaults, disturbances and larcenies combined. Almost 2,000 people were charged with possession or sale of marijuana."

As Peirce observed, "It's true, Lewis concluded, that the city can't change federal or state drug laws. But it can use its authority over police to reduce the emphasis on drug-related arrests and focus on 'harm reduction and prevention efforts rather than absolute prohibition.' City council member Stephanie Miner said she found citizens typically unconcerned about people using drugs in the confines of their homes, but deeply alarmed by the violence visited on their neighborhoods by drug-dealing on the street. 'The main effect of prohibition is to drive the market underground,' Jeffrey Miron, a Boston University economist and drug trade expert, told the Syracuse council hearing in October. Like the alcohol trade in the Roaring Twenties, he said, narcotics rendered illegal by federal decree soar in price and have created an opportunity for traffickers and dealers interested in getting a share of the $65-billion-a-year nationwide market. Eyle, head of Syracuse-based ReconsiDer, will meet again with the city council this month to discuss such steps as a resolution asking the federal and state governments to change drug policies that are merely stimulating black-market activity, crime and violence. Instructions to divert Syracuse's police to more important tasks, perhaps lowering the priority of marijuana arrests in the city, will be considered. 'This is a unique opportunity to change the image of the city, from an undistinguished Rust Belt city to a progressive community actively working to improve itself,' Eyle argues. But it's clear his long-term goal is much broader: lifting drug prohibition altogether."

Click to download a copy of the Syracuse auditor's report. A copy is also available from ReconsiDer as well as a list of the speakers at the Syracuse City Council hearings.

For more about the Syracuse report and hearings, check out:
"Auditor: Anti-Drug Tactics Flawed," The Post-Standard, Dec. 30, 2003
"In Farewell Report, Syracuse Auditor Examines Drug War, Finds It Wanting," Drug War Chronicle, Jan. 2, 2004
"To Lewis, Drug Laws' Costs And Benefits Don't Balance," The Post-Standard, Jan. 7, 2004
"Councilors Look For Better Way To Fight Drugs," The Post-Standard, Oct. 14, 2004
"Syracuse Considers New Strategy On Drugs," AP / The Watertown Daily Times, Oct. 15, 2004
"Syracuse Continues To Battle Drug Use," The Rebel Yell, Oct. 21, 2004

Back to top