It's Time to Talk About Safe Drug Use

Source: Jean van der Meulen (Stock Free)

Last week, a reporter in St. Louis – Paige Hulsey of CBS affiliate KMOV, caught the ire of the internet when she posted about a segment she worked on that featured an oddly designed "teenager's bedroom" complete with a tie-dye colored sheet adorning the wall. The installation was set up by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the help of a group called "Addiction Is Real". Upon receiving criticism of the installation, the reporter justified the piece saying that it is necessary to talk about historic rates of overdose and fake pills adulterated with fentanyl. This isn't the first time children's bedrooms have been featured in this way. Over a decade ago, New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adams also posted a video showing common places in a child's bedroom where one can hide drugs and contraband. There's even a traveling exhibit called "Hidden in Plain Sight" that 'educates' parents on where they can potentially find drugs in a child's bedroom.

It is understandable for family members and parents to be afraid of drugs. People are dying at historic rates from overdose. But in no circumstances should you search your child or family member's bedroom for evidence of drugs. This mirrors actions that law enforcement takes to search properties to seize drugs, a process of criminalization that has not prevented people from using drugs or deaths from overdose, but has ruined thousands of lives with drug charges. Searching someone's bedroom for drugs implies that you do not trust them, that you believe that they are hiding something, and rather than broach the topic directly you choose to "catch them in the act." Whether or not your child or family member is using drugs, such an act is bound to tell them that they cannot openly have a conversation with you about the topic and perpetuates stigma.

We know that stigma leads to increased overdose risk, people feel like they have to hide their drug use, which further creates conditions for unsafe drug use. They may use it alone or may not have the ability to take their time and test their drugs for fentanyl, and so on. This is not just limited to families, of course, healthcare providers are reluctant to prescribe naloxone and talk to families about the reality of drug use and the importance of overdose prevention because of this stigma. Not all youth will develop a substance use disorder, but for those who do, stigma is often a barrier to seeking treatment. In fact, a study in 2011 found that while stigma prevented treatment, communication with parents about drug use was associated with treatment use.

It's important to educate yourself and your family member about drug use and how we can minimize our risk by practicing safer drug use. First off, you should know that since fentanyl is showing up in drugs like cocaine, it is important for everybody to know about how to prevent an overdose regardless of how often they use drugs or whether or not they see themselves as a drug user.

Second, you and your family member might learn about naloxone. Naloxone is a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and can saves lives. You will not find it over-the-counter, but it can be prescribed by a physician or you can get it from a health department or outreach group. Some states like Massachusetts allow you to pick up naloxone from a pharmacist directly.

Finally, you can discuss using fentanyl test strips. These are strips that people can use to test their drugs for the presence or absence of fentanyl. This is particularly important as fentanyl is now showing up in more and more drugs. You may not see yourself as someone who uses drugs that often, but you could end up using drugs that have fentanyl in them. Testing drugs should become commonplace and it’s important to have that discussion. Multiple studies show that there is a high willingness to use these test strips among young people who use drugs.

Searching someone’s bedroom for drugs is a tactic from the drug war. We shouldn’t bring in old militarized methods into the home; we are family members and friends, not police. You can think drugs are a negative thing in people’s lives and you can oppose people using them, but it's important that while we communicate our own beliefs about substance use that we maintain an environment where people do not feel like they have to hide. It’s important that we enable practices of safe use, even while we may disagree with the use itself.

America’s overdose crisis will not end by searching kids' bedrooms, but with open and honest conversations, we can put an end to drug-related stigma and begin to create the conditions where people avoid overdosing.