Substance abuse has been a key issue affecting the American people. As we prepare for the presidential election we want to assess each candidate’s stance on this issue. Below are the outlined plans for approaching addiction and recovery provided by each candidate.
The Republican party’s stance on drug abuse has traditionally been focused on strict laws and little to no tolerance for drug use. Beginning with Nixon’s famous “War on Drugs”, the party’s approach has been more focused on sentencing laws and less on treatment.
Today, the party’s platform focused on tougher immigration laws and heightened border security. Donald Trump’s policies on drug abuse include strengthening our Southern border (building a wall) to stop the influx of opioids into the country. Furthermore, it will become more difficult for drug traffickers to send prescription drugs through the mail. While making our borders and postal service more secure, he also plans on increasing the budget on treatment.
Trump will expand the drug courts and mandatory addiction treatments. By removing Medicaid policies, he will increase access to treatment and eliminate hindrances to inpatient rehab. Moreover, He plans on creating legislation to accelerate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval process for abuse-deterrent drugs. Traditionally, the Democratic Party’s policies on drug abuse have centered around treatment and prevention laws. Former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton helped shape the party’s view on substance abuse into what it is today. One that is less focused on incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders.
The 2016 Democratic platform believe that “We must confront the epidemic of drug and alcohol addiction, specifically the opioid crisis and other drugs plaguing our communities, by vastly expanding access to prevention and treatment, supporting recovery, helping community organizations and promoting better practices by prescribers.” The opioid epidemic is one of Hillary Clinton’s key points of her political platform. She has traveled the country to witness first-hand the negative effects of drug addiction.
If elected, she plans on launching a $7.5 billion fund to support drug prevention and treatment programs at the state and federal level over a period of 10 years. Additionally, she plans to increase the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant by $2.5 billion over 10 years to expand access to substance abuse treatment.
With Election day fast approaching, we want to hear your stance on each candidate’s approach to substance abuse!
