The drug policy in New York, which promotes safe, legal, and widespread drug use, is facing significant obstacles. US Attorney Damien Williams has threatened to shut down the city’s “safe injection sites” where illegal drugs are used under medical supervision. Additionally, a state Supreme Court judge has halted the issuance of new marijuana dispensary licenses due to a violation of state law that aimed to help veterans by giving them preference over ex-drug dealers. This presents an opportunity for a different approach: drug-use prevention. Fortunately, New York already has a successful model to follow in its tobacco-control efforts. Like marijuana, tobacco is legal but harmful. However, unlike the promotion of cannabis sales for the sake of tax revenue, the Department of Health’s Tobacco Control Program prioritizes preventing tobacco and e-cigarette use among youth. The program utilizes strategic media campaigns to effectively lower smoking rates. In contrast, the Office of Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Addiction Services and Support show little interest in preventing drug use. Rather, they primarily focus on providing information about legal dispensaries, without discussing the potential health risks associated with cannabis use. This is concerning considering the CDC’s findings on the potential ill effects of marijuana use, including social anxiety, depression, suicide, and schizophrenia. The Office of Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Addiction Services and Support should prioritize health concerns rather than social equity and the acceptance of former drug dealers as dispensary licensees. Similarly, the Office of Addiction Services promotes harm reduction rather than prevention in response to the hard-drug epidemic. This approach, which provides naloxone and test strips to ensure drug purity, is reflected in safe injection sites such as those in East Harlem and Washington Heights. However, there is a lack of mass-media drug-use prevention campaigns similar to the successful efforts of the Tobacco Control Program. New York’s creative advertising industry should be utilized to develop effective messages that deter drug use rather than solely managing its effects or supporting its legalization. While Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No to Drugs” campaign may have been simplistic, it conveyed a crucial message. It is time for New York to prioritize drug-use prevention and seek guidance from its thriving ad industry to effectively combat drug use.
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