A powerful majority of Individuals, together with most Republicans, help drug decriminalization, in response to a brand new nationwide ballot launched on Friday. There’s additionally majority help general for permitting the operation of overdose prevention facilities the place folks can use illicit substances in a medically supervised setting and obtain remedy sources.
The survey from Information For Progress and the Individuals’s Motion Institute requested a variety of questions on hurt discount proposals, discovering that probably voters broadly help daring coverage modifications to handle the overdose disaster.
Amongst our findings:
✅Majority helps increasing medication-assisted remedy
✅Majority helps growing entry to nalaxone to reverse opioid overdoses
✅Bipartisan plurality helps opening overdose prevention facilities pic.twitter.com/1zi2CHpdMC— Individuals’s Motion Institute (@PplsActionInst) April 22, 2022
Seven in ten Individuals mentioned that they’re in favor of ending the criminalization of low-level drug possession and changing the specter of prosecution with selection of paying a tremendous or being screened for remedy, in comparison with 25 % who oppose the reform.
Assist for the proposal elevated by 10 proportion factors general since voters have been requested about it final yr with a distinct query in a previous Information for Progress ballot. And this spherical, a majority of Republican voters (54 %) mentioned they strongly or considerably help decriminalization, in comparison with 42 % final yr.
Democrats and independents now again the coverage change at larger ranges, at 82 and 75 %, respectively.
By way of Information For Progress.
Right here’s the precise language of the brand new decriminalization query:
“Final yr, the state of Oregon decriminalized the possession of small quantities of medicine. As an alternative of being prosecuted, an individual possessing small quantities of medicine will obtain a tremendous (like a parking ticket). An individual can get the tremendous waived in the event that they take part in screenings from companies like remedy, housing, psychological well being care, and employment. Would you help or oppose an analogous measure nationwide?”
The prior survey from the group supplied far fewer specifics concerning the coverage—merely asking, “Would you help or oppose decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of managed substances?”—which can clarify the rise in help from voters who have been prompted with extra particulars of the reform this time.
A majority of respondents within the new ballot individually mentioned that they help hurt discount insurance policies starting from growing entry to the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone (80 %) to opening secure consumption websites (64 %).
NEW POLL with @PplsActionInst: By a +64-point margin, voters help increasing using medication-assisted remedies for substance use and dependancy remedy. Assist consists of Independents by a +62-point margin and Republicans by a +52-point margin. https://t.co/Cw7xag0TiQ
— Information for Progress (@DataProgress) April 22, 2022
That latter discovering is very notable contemplating that the service is just not extensively accessible and has traditionally been considered as controversial. The primary such amenities within the U.S. opened in New York Metropolis late final yr, and there’s additionally ongoing litigation concerning the federal legality of the service after the Trump administration sued a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that sought to open its personal website.
Advocates have celebrated the early outcomes of the New York Metropolis amenities, discovering proof that they save lives.
A majority of Democrats (81 %) and independents (62 %) are in favor of the hurt discount facilities, and a plurality of Republicans (49 %) help them as properly.
By way of Information For Progress.
Right here’s the language of the secure consumption website query:
“Some lawmakers are contemplating opening Overdose Prevention Facilities. These facilities provide sterile provides and managed settings for folks to make use of pre-obtained medication below the supervision of skilled professionals who can intervene in case of an overdose or one other medical occasion, hyperlink folks to counseling, and supply referrals to well being and social companies, together with drug remedy. Do you help or oppose opening Overdose Prevention Facilities?”
In the present day @PplsActionInst and @DataProgress launched polling displaying that individuals of each race and place have been touched by the overdose disaster, and a majority of individuals throughout get together strains help evidence-based hurt discount measures to finish it. https://t.co/CubqoKKbNI
— Individuals’s Motion (@PplsAction) April 22, 2022
Total familiarity with hurt discount proposals is comparatively low, however the outcomes sign that explaining what they’d obtain usually lends to help for reform. The ballot additionally exhibits that almost two in 5 Individuals know somebody who’s struggled with dependancy or skilled an overdose.
The survey concerned interviews with 1,260 probably voters from March 4-7, with a margin of error of +/-3 proportion factors.
With regards to decriminalization, the coverage proposal was thought of in a variety of states like Maryland and Rhode Island this session.
Washington State activists filed a proposed poll initiative in February that might take away felony penalties for easy drug possession and direct practically $150 million yearly to increase substance misuse remedy.