For years drug addicts have been targeted by law enforcement in any shape possible, but one state in the country is attempting to buck the trend by encouraging people to turn in their narcotics without being threatened with any legal action.
New Jersey are attempting to provide their local police with the opportunity to create special drug programs, which would allow people to walk in from the street and surrender any illegal substances they may have.
As we all know, at the moment this isn’t the case anywhere in the country. Even if drugs are being surrendered, the individual can still be arrested and this naturally means that few people do so.
The news has been greeted by plenty of positivity by those heavily involved in the industry, with many, such as Heather Taras’ drug website, praising the changes.
Why are New Jersey taking a different stance?
New Jersey are the first state to want to try this approach and when one analyzes their overdose figures, it’s no surprise why.
The state currently has three times as many overdoses as any other in the country – with this also being the leading cause of accidental death.
It means that even if individuals wish to help themselves, they are immediately dissuaded due to the fact they will probably be arrested.
What exactly is N.J. proposing?
The state isn’t just suggesting that anyone who hands in their illegal substances will be immune from law enforcement action. The main point from the potential bill is that these individuals will be provided with recovery programs and other assistance to help them beat their addiction.
In other words, the state is looking to aid the whole recovery process of addicts.
Not only that, the proposal suggests that the authorities would be able to distribute drugs that can help prevent and treat overdoses.
Each person who enrolls in the program would be given a volunteer (who has been verified by the police) so that they can obtain the relevant emotional support when required.
Another noticeable fact about the proposal is that individuals wouldn’t be questioned by law enforcement. It means that as soon as the substances are surrendered, they are free to leave without any further interference from the police. Officers would be told that they would not be able to carry out any actions which might make the individual fear as though they could be arrested, or just discourage them from being involved in the program.
What stage is the bill at?
This is a bill which obviously hasn’t been legalized yet and the nature of it means that it may take a little while to implement. A full vote is still required, although the fact that the Senator for New Jersey, Cory Booker, has previously stated that he is desperate to improve the drugs situation in the state should work to its advantage.
Already he has spoken about a whole magnitude of drugs-related issues and following his stance, one would assume he would be a keen advocate of any solution that aims to help addicts.
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