Treatment, Not Death: Trump Wrong On Drugs, NJ-11 Candidate Says

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Treatment should be the nation’s highest drug enforcement priority, not “death,” a U.S Congressional candidate from Essex County says.

According to a Tuesday statement from Tamara Harris, a Verona resident and a candidate for the Democratic Congressional nomination for New Jersey’s 11th District, President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to impose capital punishment for some high-level narcotics traffickers is a “troubling” and ineffective solution for the nation’s opioid epidemic.

Harris was referring to Trump's Monday speech in New Hampshire, when he called for the federal government to crack down on drug crimes including what he termed the “big pushers… the ones who are really killing people.”

"If we don't get tough on the drug dealers, we are wasting our time," the president asserted, adding – to a standing ovation – that “toughness” includes the death penalty. (Watch videos below)

Harris disagreed with Trump's suggestion.

“I am deeply disturbed and concerned that the President believes seeking capital punishment is an effective policy for reducing drug use in the United States,” Harris said. “Decades of medical and social research clearly shows that drug addiction is a public health issue and the most effective strategy for combating the problem is to deploy maximum resources for treatment.”

“Treatment should be the nation’s highest drug enforcement priority, not death,” she added.

• See related article: NJ Needs More Syringe Exchanges For Drug Users, Advocacy Group Contends

Harris said that Trump’s comments about the death penalty are especially troubling when viewed in context of the running War on Drugs, which has “fueled mass incarceration, racial profiling, disparate mandatory minimum sentences, civil asset forfeiture and other practices that are either unconstitutional or ineffective at combating addiction” since the 1970s.

"As a social worker, I know firsthand that fighting addiction begins with treatment, and that access to treatment services is closely related to the availability of adequate healthcare,” Harris said.

“Our legislative, political and law enforcement leaders must work together to ensure not only the fair enforcement of our drug laws, but the right of every American to adequate healthcare, which in many cases can assist with treatment and help reduce drug dependency and addiction.”

• See related article: The ‘Addiction Industry’: Scientist Says Opioid Treatment Needs To Change

Harris has gone on the offensive against Trump’s policies before, blaming his fiduciary policies for a record Dow Jones tumble in February. However, some experts have questioned the extent to which any president deserves credit for stock market rises – or falls.

• See related article: Verona Congressional Candidate Blames Trump For Dow Jones Drop

Do you agree with Trump or Harris about using the death penalty for some high-level drug dealers? Let us know why in the comments section!

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