Drug warriors' staunch opposition to needle exchanges to prevent the spread of HIV in addicts delayed the programs' widespread introduction in most states for years. A federal ban on funding for these programs wasn't lifted until 2009. Contrast this with… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
Punishment by definition isn't going to help. So what you need to do is to help people to change and recover is to help… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
There's traditionally been two different ways of seeing addiction. Either it's a sin and you're a horrible bad person and you are just choosing… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
The thing about our drug laws is that they're not based on science. — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
Marijuana is not not harmful, but is the least harmful psychoactive substance that we have, with the possible exception of caffeine. — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
There is a safe, nontoxic drug called naloxone that can instantly reverse opioid overdose and prevent most of these deaths. But the drug war… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
When President Nixon declared war on drugs on June 17, 1971, about 110 people per 100,000 in the population were incarcerated. Today, we have… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
Because of the war on drugs, pain patients are treated with skepticism and pain doctors live in fear of being prosecuted for overprescribing. The… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
I think our drug laws need to be made scientifically, as best as possible, recognizing that values will always be part of that. — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
Addiction is when you fall in love with a drug instead of a child or a lover and the learning that takes part in… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
We should not be putting kids in cages and hoping that is going to fix their psychological problems of any type. — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
I don't have kids, but I've often noticed when people first become parents they seem to completely forget their own adolescence and they start… — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
In order for people to recover, we can't just say 'love is all we need.' — Maia Szalavitz Copy Share Image
