In the Loving Memory of Dan Bigg #Reframetheblame

Our Reframe the Blame Initiative is an important initiative that USU is launching with the help of women’s Urgent Action Fund and Drug Policy Alliance as a reaction to the drug supply poisoning.  Drug War initiatives will only kill more people.  We must end drug-induced homicide laws and malicious prosecution NOW!’

Reframetheblame Landing Page:  https://mailchi.mp/8cfd103ab803/reframetheblame

REFRAMETHE BLAME Tool Kit google link:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HvP2o6IhVDBIA6-mZ_q-kCbyXtIfVBj0

THE SWAY:  https://sway.office.com/wDszqplDP7EydcWI?ref=Link&loc=mysways

Things you can do now to protect yourself:  https://sway.office.com/9gB460A94MAGYX5T

TOOLS FOR THE CAMPAIGN:

Facebook Event Cover                                                            Facebook Page Cover

LWTP TWITTER

LWTP Pamphlet:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82X7mL9l9zTb2dMdmlUa1dHUlRkbDUxbXUxY21aNmVac19J/view?usp=sharing

TOOLKIT:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82X7mL9l9zTQXpIWjZlSVkwRGhSNkgwcW80SzNDN3ZnY1NJ/view?usp=sharing

Fact Sheet:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82X7mL9l9zTY2g5ajM3VHhpM21uZk9IcXNDWk1ENVN6WU1r/view?usp=sharing

DNP Forms to sign:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1diFAkOt6j6yMBTgRJqpyOX3X_cn2hFErIkCbg0B9T9k/edit?usp=sharing

Multimedia Matrix:  file:///C:/Users/weezi/Dropbox/toolkit/social%20media%20matrix.pdf

CALL TO ACTION: “REFRAME the BLAME” USU is working with a coalition of people who use drugs and their allies in an effort to bring awareness to our loved ones, families, our communities, community organizations who represent the interest of drug users, and our local, state and federal representatives about Drug Induced Homicide Laws. These laws will only destroy more lives, create an environment where more people are likely to overdose and die, and increase the number of people whose lives are devastated due to drug policy.

Drug-induced homicide” refers to a federal law passed in 1986 as part of the Controlled Substances Act, that carries 20 years to life for anyone who is involved in the sale or delivery of a controlled substance that results in death or serious bodily injury. Many jurisdictions say these laws will only be used for dealers who are trafficking large amounts of drugs but we have seen these charges used on people who do not represent kingpins, and cartel sized dealers. There are friends, lovers, low-level dealers, sitting in jail cells across the country not only mourning the loss of their loved one but having their lives destroyed as a result of misdirected anger and unending pain.

Currently, 20 states – Delaware, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming – have drug-induced homicide laws on the books. A number of other states, while without specific drug induced homicide statutes, still charge the offense of drug delivery resulting in death under various felony-murder, depraved heart, or involuntary or voluntary manslaughter laws.

EVIDENCE HAS MADE CLEAR THAT THIS KIND OF LEGAL DETERRENT IN NO WAY PREVENTS OR DETERS OVERDOSE DEATH OR DRUG USE. IN FACT, IT INCREASES THE CHANCES OF OVERDOSE DEATH.

Research shows that one of the most important ways to protect yourself from overdose is having a good relationship with the person who sells you drugs. They can warn and tell the person when the drugs are strong when a new batch comes in etc. Most people think there are drug users and drug dealers. There are many people who sell drugs simply because they use drugs, most people who use drugs have either sold drugs or “hooked someone up” with drugs at some time in their life. It is seen as an “act of goodwill” in the drug using community to help someone find drugs….NOT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT LAND YOU WITH A MURDER CHARGE.

Prosecutors are increasingly treating overdose deaths as homicides, but they aren’t just going after dealers. Friends, family and fellow users are going to prison.

GET TOUGH POLICIES DO NOT WORK

We know from years of experience that Get Tough Policies do not slow drug use or overdose death. So why do we continue to move in this direction? We call addiction a disease but we send people to jail everyday for relapsing? Our policies are actually responsible for increased disease rates and increased overdose death rates. If you remember Indiana did not have a syringe exchange right before Mike Pence was elected for vice president and due to governmental officials not implementing public health interventions KNOWN TO reduce disease and death a small town that usually reports between 1-4 cases of HIV a year reported 198 people infected with HIV directly related to their inability to access sterile supplies and education

Article about the HIV epidemic in Scott County where Mike Pence was Governor.

Drug Policy in the United States causes more harm than good. Other countries have changed their policies and seen massive improvements and reduced disease and death among their citizens, but we don’t treat all drugs alike in the US. When we think about why people who sell drugs need to be in prison we need to remember that there are drugs more dangerous than heroin EVEN fentanyl in the US that we regulate and sell.