Additionally, SAMHSA does tons of great things in mental health, such as creating educational programs for teachers to help them prevent and support students' mental health challenges. Remember this after the next school shooting when Republicans murmur "mental health" in unison.
Trump is spending our $$ murdering unidentified people in boats who may or may not have some relationship to drugs rather than spending money on programs to actually help those experiencing addiction.
Thank you for this. I have two nephews that have struggled with addictions. It’s life shattering. One is sober 4 years, the other benefiting from programs getting cut as we speak. Even the writer here sets a tone that if only the administration knew the benefits of these programs they would not cut, slash, destroy them. Vought knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s all purposeful and designed to hurt the most vulnerable. They couldn’t care less, in their twisted Christian nationalized view of the American people.
RFKjr should get into this program before he kills it. And what's next for Trump: outlaw AA because he disapproves of alcohol? He, meanwhile, is on the biggest dry drunk of anyone I have ever experienced.
We seem to have an extremely conflicted attitude generally towards healthcare delivery in our country. Which of course extends to the public health issue that includes drugs- taking, abusing and criminally selling. Jonathan discusses the predictably terrible consequence of cutting funding for treatment and interdiction at the federal level now underway. An invitation to relapses, continuing addiction and drug related deaths will only increase. Absent federal resources towards life saving alternatives, such as drug courts. I'd like to highlight what happens when there's very little funding to back up even well intended legislation, at the state level- as an illustration
In 2024, California voters approved Prop 36. Which was a legislative kind of amendment to the prop 47, from 2014. Prop 47 sought to reduce several drug felonies to misdemeanors. A kind hearted- and fiscally sensible - attempt to stop incarcerating people for comparatively minor drug crimes, such as possession of small amounts of marijuana. In 2024, prop 36 proposed treatment instead of prescribed felony convictions, with possibly three years' of incarceration, as a result of two previous drug charges. Prop 36 was to be an alternative to prison for people.
The problem was that no funding had been approved along with Prop 36. For the actual treatment programs. Which Newson at the time commented on- completely correctly- as an "unfunded mandate that would take California back to the War on Drugs." IOW, nice idea here, but all we're going to do here, without the means to treat people, is go back to locking people up. Without the infrastructure to treat addiction: incarceration per usual, by default.
Newson did fund $100 billion, plus some additional grants, but where has prop 36 landed, for the folks in addiction and desiring treatment over prison? Of the 9000 people eligible for a treatment option since the enactment of Prop 36, 15% elected treatment. Of those, 25 people have completed their course of treatment with the expungement of their felony drug convictions. Why? It wasn't simply lack of desire for recovery, or even lack of funding. Keep reading.
The original sin here, that escaped voters' well meaning attention? Certainly the failure to fund, both residential and outpatient treatment resources. We want to help these people- but paying for it? Uh, we'll think about it. Chalk that much up to human nature perhaps. But there has also been a chronic shortage of mental health providers- a problem certainly not unique to California. We have a nationwide lack of mental health professionals. A subject for another day- but not really. Just a reflection of the system's failure to compensate folks fairly in so many areas of our healthcare delivery system, generally speaking.
Nobody in the current administration understands this or anything else. The competent people have been fired or left in disgust; “corporate memory “ is lost, just as it always is in downsizing. The leadership in the administration,including the cabinet, don’t bother to understand the functions of their departments and think the people paid the most need to go. The compassion and caring is gone and has been replaced by self interest and by trying to please Trump, or at least not piss him off. This President who crows about ridding the country of drugs is ridding the country of programs that help those with drug problems. The market is as big a problem as the drugs. This is the story of a man removed from the market.
We treat the drug-addicted like psychotic people - we spend as little as possible helping them, and Republicans at least hope they either die, cure themselves through willpower alone, or go to a private prison whose owners make campaign and/or ballroom contributions to Trump.
I have witnessed many successes in the drug court here in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The gratitude voiced by the "graduates" has reinforced my belief in the program.
This administration is big on punishment. We see it in the political prosecutions, the deportations to a gulag and even killing of those merely suspected of crimes, and the calls for violence against protestors, now made real by DHS and DOD.
I've long held that our whole incarceration industry needs a major overhaul. It's a brutal system that dehumanizes people and, truth be told, probably makes our crime problem worse. Prisons are our largest mental health facilities, hold nonviolent drug offenders along with actual criminals, and afford no appropriate services for any group.
Trump's reelection produced an immediate bump in the stock prices for the private prison industry (which contributed bigly to his campaign). It's no surprise that this administration would shun alternatives to incarceration, especially when profits are at stake.
The people in the Trump administration making decisions about SAHMSA funding have neither the heart nor the soul to care about recidivism rates, lives saved, or families restored. "Fine Christians" though they may be.
The looter-in-chief who goes on about fentanyl really could care less about addiction in the USA. This is an inspiring story - citizens and human beings deserve better from our government.
What is wrong with this country? How did we let the worst of us get to holding the reins?
Additionally, SAMHSA does tons of great things in mental health, such as creating educational programs for teachers to help them prevent and support students' mental health challenges. Remember this after the next school shooting when Republicans murmur "mental health" in unison.
Trump is spending our $$ murdering unidentified people in boats who may or may not have some relationship to drugs rather than spending money on programs to actually help those experiencing addiction.
Thank you for this. I have two nephews that have struggled with addictions. It’s life shattering. One is sober 4 years, the other benefiting from programs getting cut as we speak. Even the writer here sets a tone that if only the administration knew the benefits of these programs they would not cut, slash, destroy them. Vought knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s all purposeful and designed to hurt the most vulnerable. They couldn’t care less, in their twisted Christian nationalized view of the American people.
RFKjr should get into this program before he kills it. And what's next for Trump: outlaw AA because he disapproves of alcohol? He, meanwhile, is on the biggest dry drunk of anyone I have ever experienced.
We seem to have an extremely conflicted attitude generally towards healthcare delivery in our country. Which of course extends to the public health issue that includes drugs- taking, abusing and criminally selling. Jonathan discusses the predictably terrible consequence of cutting funding for treatment and interdiction at the federal level now underway. An invitation to relapses, continuing addiction and drug related deaths will only increase. Absent federal resources towards life saving alternatives, such as drug courts. I'd like to highlight what happens when there's very little funding to back up even well intended legislation, at the state level- as an illustration
In 2024, California voters approved Prop 36. Which was a legislative kind of amendment to the prop 47, from 2014. Prop 47 sought to reduce several drug felonies to misdemeanors. A kind hearted- and fiscally sensible - attempt to stop incarcerating people for comparatively minor drug crimes, such as possession of small amounts of marijuana. In 2024, prop 36 proposed treatment instead of prescribed felony convictions, with possibly three years' of incarceration, as a result of two previous drug charges. Prop 36 was to be an alternative to prison for people.
The problem was that no funding had been approved along with Prop 36. For the actual treatment programs. Which Newson at the time commented on- completely correctly- as an "unfunded mandate that would take California back to the War on Drugs." IOW, nice idea here, but all we're going to do here, without the means to treat people, is go back to locking people up. Without the infrastructure to treat addiction: incarceration per usual, by default.
Newson did fund $100 billion, plus some additional grants, but where has prop 36 landed, for the folks in addiction and desiring treatment over prison? Of the 9000 people eligible for a treatment option since the enactment of Prop 36, 15% elected treatment. Of those, 25 people have completed their course of treatment with the expungement of their felony drug convictions. Why? It wasn't simply lack of desire for recovery, or even lack of funding. Keep reading.
The original sin here, that escaped voters' well meaning attention? Certainly the failure to fund, both residential and outpatient treatment resources. We want to help these people- but paying for it? Uh, we'll think about it. Chalk that much up to human nature perhaps. But there has also been a chronic shortage of mental health providers- a problem certainly not unique to California. We have a nationwide lack of mental health professionals. A subject for another day- but not really. Just a reflection of the system's failure to compensate folks fairly in so many areas of our healthcare delivery system, generally speaking.
Nobody in the current administration understands this or anything else. The competent people have been fired or left in disgust; “corporate memory “ is lost, just as it always is in downsizing. The leadership in the administration,including the cabinet, don’t bother to understand the functions of their departments and think the people paid the most need to go. The compassion and caring is gone and has been replaced by self interest and by trying to please Trump, or at least not piss him off. This President who crows about ridding the country of drugs is ridding the country of programs that help those with drug problems. The market is as big a problem as the drugs. This is the story of a man removed from the market.
We treat the drug-addicted like psychotic people - we spend as little as possible helping them, and Republicans at least hope they either die, cure themselves through willpower alone, or go to a private prison whose owners make campaign and/or ballroom contributions to Trump.
Drug courts are the closest this country comes to recognizing that drug abuse is not a criminal justice issue. It's a public health issue.
You would EXPECT that Bobby Brain Worms would understand that and have some compassion, but being a narcissist and a fraud, he doesn't have it in him.
Trump and his cronies do not care about anything but enriching themselves. Americans being hurt are just collateral damage.
Drug treatment should be at least as easy to get as street drugs are!
Drug addiction is a disease —not a moral failing.
It is very treatable.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/opinion/addiction-policy-treatment-opioid.html?unlocked_article_code=1.yU8.u6Z3.eWsYswSG-tT0&smid=url-share
Tremendous reporting. Thank you. And many thanks to Daniel Oldham for his agreeing to be interviewed and being so forthcoming. A true Twelfth Step.
I wonder what role campaign donations from thr major private prison companies plays in these decisions....
I have witnessed many successes in the drug court here in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The gratitude voiced by the "graduates" has reinforced my belief in the program.
This administration is big on punishment. We see it in the political prosecutions, the deportations to a gulag and even killing of those merely suspected of crimes, and the calls for violence against protestors, now made real by DHS and DOD.
I've long held that our whole incarceration industry needs a major overhaul. It's a brutal system that dehumanizes people and, truth be told, probably makes our crime problem worse. Prisons are our largest mental health facilities, hold nonviolent drug offenders along with actual criminals, and afford no appropriate services for any group.
Trump's reelection produced an immediate bump in the stock prices for the private prison industry (which contributed bigly to his campaign). It's no surprise that this administration would shun alternatives to incarceration, especially when profits are at stake.
The people in the Trump administration making decisions about SAHMSA funding have neither the heart nor the soul to care about recidivism rates, lives saved, or families restored. "Fine Christians" though they may be.
The looter-in-chief who goes on about fentanyl really could care less about addiction in the USA. This is an inspiring story - citizens and human beings deserve better from our government.