Obama: Drug abuse is a public health issue

Odyssey House welcomes President Obama’s position that drug abuse should be treated as a public health problem; that drug policy has been too focused on arrests, incarceration, and interdiction; and that he favors demand reduction but not legalization.

President Obama explained his stances on drug policy during a recent YouTube question-and-answer session.



The President said, “I am not in favor of legalization. I am a strong believer that we have to think more about drugs as a public health problem. When you think about other damaging activities in our society - smoking, drunk driving, making sure you're wearing seatbelts - typically we've made huge strides over the last 20, 30 years by changing people's attitudes. And on drugs I think that a lot of times we have been so focused on arrest, incarceration, interdiction that we don't spend as much time thinking about ‘how do we shrink demand?’”

He said he would like to see more resources could go towards drug rehabilitation so that those looking for help from a treatment program do not have to wait for months for assistance, and that there should be a way of steering nonviolent, first-time drug offenders “into the straight and narrow,” through drug courts or similar programs.

Odyssey House has long viewed substance use disorders as a public health issue and offers tailored treatment programs for a diverse range of individuals and families.

Local Bronx organizations hold toy drive for Family Re-Entry children

Once again, the children of the Odyssey House Family Re-Entry program in the Bronx were the beneficiaries of a toy drive organized by the Bound by Honor Motorcycle Club and the Bronx Bikers Alliance. The organizations ensured that each child received an age appropriate toy and even had a member dress up as Santa to hand out the gifts.

Odyssey House Harbor Deputy Director of Operations Liz De La Cruz, as president of the Bound by Honor Motorcycle Club, has organized the toy drive for the past three years. Ms. De La Cruz said of her club, “We share a common love for riding our motorcycles but we also want to help our Bronx community.” She continued, “It is really a nice thing to see the delight on the kids’ faces when Santa walks in with bags of toys. We hope to continue this tradition for many years to come.”