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Drug Policy Alliance Statement on GOP Senate COVID Package
“HEALS Act” Fails to Address the Plight of Incarcerated People, Countering Efforts to Eradicate the Virus Washington, D.C. – In response to Senate Republicans unveiling their one trillion dollar stimulus package, the “HEALS Act” – which Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said will likely represent lawmakers’ last major legislative response to the pandemic –…
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DPA Statement on New CDC Data: Increase in Overdose Deaths in 2019 Raises Red Flag for 2020 Amid COVID-19
Now, More Than Ever, it is Essential We Double Down on Overdose Prevention that Works, as Outlined in DPA’s COVID-19 Policy Recommendations New York, NY – In response to new preliminary CDC data showing an increase in drug overdose deaths in 2019, Sheila Vakharia, PhD, Deputy Director of the Department of Research & Academic Engagement…
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DPA Submits Amicus Brief Cosigned by AMA Supporting Attempt to Establish Supervised Consumption Site in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA – Last week, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) submitted an amicus brief, which the American Medical Association (AMA) signed on to, in support of Safehouse being able to establish a supervised consumption site (SCS) in Philadelphia. The community-based organization is currently fending off an appeal by the federal government in the Third Circuit…
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Elevating the Conversation Around COVID-19 & Drug Policy
Drug Policy Alliance Hits Record Number of Registrations, Centering Cutting Edge Conversations in Upcoming National Webinars New York, NY – Today, the Drug Policy Alliance announced the latest in their COVID-19 Webinar Series, exploring the intersection of drug policy and COVID-19. While the initial four webinars focused on areas that DPA is already known for—decarceration,…
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Drug Policy Alliance Statement on Killing of Carlos Ingram Lopez by Police When Responding to “Disorderly Conduct” Call Involving Drug Use
When Police Respond to Drug Use, Too Often Black & Brown People End up Hurt or Dead. It’s Time to Divest from Police Towards Humane & Compassionate Health-Centered Services New York, NY – In response to body cam footage released Wednesday of the April 2020 police killing of Carlos Ingram Lopez in Tucson, Arizona –…
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DPA Leads Coalition of National Organizations Calling for an End to the Trump Administration’s Use of the DEA to Surveil Protestors & a Congressional DEA Oversight Hearing
Peaceful Protests do not Justify the Aggressive Overreaction, Militarization, and Attempts to Suppress Protected Speech and Assembly Washington, D.C. – Today, the Drug Policy Alliance led a coalition of national organizations in a letter to Congress supporting House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee on Crime Chair Karen Bass (D-CA) in their call…
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New Brief Finds NYPD Enforcement of Low-Level Broken Windows Offenses Accounts for Huge Department Expenditures, is Marked by Extreme Racial Disparities
Amid explicit racism in enforcement and unprecedented budget shortfalls, NYC must redirect $1 billion of NYPD FY21 budget to impacted communities New York, NY — New York City criminalizes drugs and low-level broken windows offenses at a startling rate, with enforcement in these areas accounting for a vast proportion of the NYPD’s policing activities and…
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Drug Policy Alliance Statement on New Details in Rayshard Brooks Killing
Substance Use Has Too Long Been Used as a Cover for this Kind of Degradation and Death Towards Black and Brown People Washington, D.C. – In response to appalling new details revealed by D.A. Howard yesterday in the killing of Rayshard Brooks—that following him being shot, he was kicked by Officer Rolfe while Officer Branson…
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Drug Policy Alliance Statement on Tim Scott Senate Police Bill
Congress Must Give Us Something More Than Empty Promises Washington, D.C. – In response to Senate Republicans introducing their own police “reform” bill, the JUSTICE Act, Maritza Perez, Director of the Office of National Affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), released the following statement: “To call this bill a ‘police reform’ is disingenuous. What we…
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Drug Policy Alliance Statement on Trump Executive Order on Policing
Congress Must Finish the Job White House Failed to Do Washington, D.C. – In response to Trump signing an executive order today on policing, Maritza Perez, Director of the Office of National Affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), released the following statement: “While we are encouraged to see the president is acknowledging the issue…