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“6.9% of African Americans have a substance use disorder, compared to 7.4% of the total population” . f f i -
use in urban communities of color. Furthermore, during the “opioid crisis” response, arrests for heroin exceeded those of diverted prescription opioids, which are more accessible to White communities. And finally, Black people are four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than White people, despite, again, similar rates of use. The penalization of addiction keeps many stuck in the cycle of poverty and substance abuse. Policies like the Gramm Amendment to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 gave states the option to ban anyone with a felony drug conviction from ever receiving TANF or Food Stamps. Several states have also enforced laws that prevent formerly incarcerated individuals from receiving housing assistance. Without assistance, stable housing,
“6.9% of African Americans have a substance use disorder, compared to 7.4% of the total population” “3.4% of African-Americans have an illicit rug use disorder compared to 3% of he population.”
or employment opportunities after release from prison, many turn to the same substances use and/or sale as before. Though some states are beginning the process of decriminalizing drugs and treating substance abuse as a health
disorder, the federal policies of years prior still continue to affect African-Americans to this day, penalizing them more than their White counterparts for what should be treated as a health disorder. It is clear now that penalizing addiction does not work.
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