"Crack Pipes" and SAMHSA Funding
Over the past few days, you’ve likely seen national media coverage of a new federal grant program that’s been misrepresented. SAMHSA has committed to increasing financial support towards harm reduction programs, which we know have a robust evidence-base related to decreasing infectious disease spread, increasing relationships that can connect people who use drugs with support such as treatment and recovery services, and, most importantly, treating people like people.
But the headlines and the stories that followed haven’t always talked about the benefits investment in these types of programs can have in our communities. Instead, many have widely mocked this grant program that was designed to leverage the harm reduction evidence-base to save lives. They’re focused on “crack pipes” and “addicts,” frequently showing Black faces in the images that accompany them or outright saying this is a “racial equity” issue – perpetuating many harmful and racist stereotypes about addiction and ultimately creating more harm in the communities that need the help most. While some coverage has been deeply problematic, it has also been encouraging to see some fact-checking and accurate coverage. It’s clear from this episode that issues related to addiction will only become more polarizing going forward, reinforcing the importance of our efforts to increase media coverage of evidence-based approaches by building bridges with addiction experts.
Whether you are reporting on this topic in your town, are an expert available to be interviewed, or are hoping to use this harmful coverage as a teaching opportunity in your classroom, Reporting on Addiction can support you. Here’s how.
How You Can Help
Journalists
- We have a list of experts as well as personal connections throughout the addiction science field, including experts in harm reduction, that we could connect you with. Reply to this email or reach out to contact@reportingonaddiction.org to tell us about the story you’re currently reporting so we can help out.
- If you are reporting on this topic (or other addiction-related reporting), we can work with you individually on using our current resources and provide guidance on accurately and scientifically depicting addiction. In the meantime, you can find our one-page style guide here.
Experts
- We want to help facilitate conversations and interviews with journalists who are reporting on this topic. If you’re willing to be interviewed, apply here to be part of our database.
- If you specialize in harm reduction and have something to say about how the media covered this topic, we can help you write and pitch a piece to local, regional and even national outlets to publish your work. We also provide media training. Reply to this email or reach out to contact@reportingonaddiction.org
Educators
- If you would like to use the coverage of harm reduction funding as a teaching moment for your students on how to accurately report about addiction and harm reduction, reply here to connect with our team who can help you structure a lesson from our research-based materials.
And if this topic doesn’t impact you directly, but you know someone who could use any of these resources above, please forward this message on to your colleagues and friends. The more people that get involved in our movement, the quicker we can put an end to addiction stigma in the media.
Jonathan JK Stoltman