One of the many low points of Tuesday’s presidential debate was the moment when President Trump attacked Joe Biden’s son Hunter over his past drug use. The barrage of criticism and lies perpetuates “a harmful stigma of addiction, the Washington Post concludes, noting that an estimated 23 million Americans struggle with drug-use disorder at some point in their lives. Stigma is a powerful social penalty and is often just as deadly as the addiction itself, the paper notes; it can keep people in the shadows and fearful of seeking help and acknowledging that there is a problem.
Meanwhile, drug overdoses continue to climb in many states, with Ohio reporting that there were more fatalities in the state in May than in any month in at least 14 years. Overdoses are skyrocketing in part because of the despair and economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To stem the rise, addiction organizations are urging the state to increase the availability of overdose reversal drugs, and to boost funding for Medicaid, which is the largest payer of substance abuse treatment.
And finally, Vermont Governor Philip Scott is having second thoughts about signing a marijuana legalization bill passed by the state legislature, citing worries about provisions to promote racial justice and social equity. The bill does address concerns about commercialization and access to the drug, including allowing municipalities to opt in to allow pot business and to establish their own regulations and licensing requirements.