Abstract
There's something so inspiring about policymakers comparing substance use disorders (SUDs) to COVID‐19. Here's why: Both are medical conditions. Too many people think the solution to SUDs is the criminal justice system. Last week in Florida, where, like many other states, opioid overdose deaths are rising, state Democratic Representative Geraldine Thompson firmly said it's time to rely on treatment programs. “Our correctional institutions have replaced mental health institutions with regard to treating the issues,” she said of SUDs, according to a report from 90.7 WMFE. “So as policymakers, those are the kinds of things that we want to look at. How do we offer preventative treatment so we don't have warehousing on the back end and … aren't trying to arrest our way out of this crisis?” She was speaking during a virtual meeting about the impact COVID‐19 has had on the state's opioid crisis.
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