Be an abolitionist with us: No New War on Drugs tomorrow
For the 2nd time this year, Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison and Seattle City Councilmembers Alex Pedersen and Sara Nelson are proposing to adopt the state legislature’s new law criminalizing simple drug possession and public drug use. This “new” bill (CB 120645) is identical to the one that failed less than 75 days ago (CB 120586).
Except for a brief time when Seattle criminalized marijuana possession, the city of Seattle has never prosecuted drug possession or public use. Rather than effectively address the overdose crisis, this new city bill would increase prosecutions for drug possession, increase the jail population, increase overdoses and overdose deaths, and greatly worsen racial disparities in all of the above.
We have over fifty years of evidence that arrest and incarceration are ineffective and harmful when it comes to addressing drug use. Tell Seattle City Council to vote NO on returning us to a failed war on drugs!
Sources and further information here: https://tinyurl.com/drug-war-redux
Give public comment at 2 pm Tuesday 9/19 and call/email council today
Sample script and data/talking points here:
Slides to share and post on social media here:
Sign up for public comment
Tuesday 9/19 at 2 pm
Sign up to speak remotely http://www.seattle.gov/council/committees/public-comment. Remote sign-up opens at noon (Set your alarm! 🙂). You can sign up anytime until the public comment ends some time after 2 pm.
Show up to City Hall (600 4th Ave) in person. In-person sign up opens at 1:45 pm. I’ll be there around 1:30 and hope you can show up, too.