SUDs and Racism

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by Molly McKenna1 view·Updated Apr 17, 2022
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  1. substance use disorders,
  2. also referred to as Suggs are extremely prevalent
  3. in society and very difficult to overcome.
  4. S. U. D. S.
  5. Are a global health crisis and research shows that
  6. the burden of this disease is historically disproportionate among black
  7. latin X. And indigenous peoples.
  8. Systemic racism is a form of racism which is deeply embedded in society's laws,
  9. practices and regulations,
  10. observed racial disparities and substance abuse disorder
  11. prevalence history and treatment all highlight ways
  12. which systemic racism impacts POC today.
  13. Like any disease,
  14. there are variables which impact a person's
  15. likelihood of suffering from substance use disorder.
  16. Research led by attending physician Panty,
  17. a farmhand addresses the ties between systemic racism and substance abuse.
  18. Statistical analysis shows the shocking difference between
  19. sud prevalence and people of color.
  20. Opioid related overdose mortality is five times higher
  21. and indigenous youth than any other group.
  22. Black people experience higher mortality morbidity
  23. and adverse social and legal consequences.
  24. As a result of a drug overdose
  25. In the three-year period from 2014 to 2017 deaths related to opiate
  26. overdose increased by 818% more in black individuals than in any other race
  27. location of outpatient treatment sites reinforced
  28. the disproportionate development of substance use
  29. disorders due to a lack of accessibility to the pOC community.
  30. Even if there is a treatment location close to black latin X.
  31. And indigenous communities,
  32. it is less likely that they will accept Medicaid in these areas.
  33. Medical treatments tend to be limited to white communities and
  34. are typically only accessible to those with higher income levels.
  35. The relationship between race and substance abuse disorders is clear,
  36. but we need to really question how this relationship developed
  37. early U. S. Drug policy
  38. Was rooted in racism, starting with the Harrison Act of 1914,
  39. which established that addiction was not considered a disease.
  40. The background of the law linked to cocaine use with african americans and opioid
  41. use with chinese americans.
  42. Many media stories slandered people of color by making
  43. baseless claims about the association of crimes with cocaine use
  44. Among black men.
  45. And in 1914, the New York Times,
  46. a reputable source published an article describing how black
  47. men became murderous under the influence of cocaine.
  48. As a result of the Harrison Act,
  49. many Sud patients could not obtain the medical treatment required to recover
  50. another historical example of systemic racism
  51. and S. U. D. S.
  52. Is the proclaimed war on drugs established by
  53. Nixon in the 19 seventies to fight the crack
  54. and
  55. opioid crisis in black communities.
  56. This increased the presence of federal drug control and the
  57. use of measures such as no knock warrants and mandatory
  58. sentencing.
  59. This caused an eight fold increase in non violent drug related arrests by 1997.
  60. Due to the use of racialized frameworks,
  61. black americans were criminalized at much higher rates than whites,
  62. which is seen in the demographic makeup of the incarcerated population today.
  63. The war on drugs also added to the
  64. stigma surrounding seeking treatment for substance use disorders,
  65. partially due to fear of harsh criminal justice penalties.
  66. An important driver in the development of SUVs is stress.