How do we end the war on drugs?
Mothers were instrumental in ending alcohol prohibition in the United States in the 30’s, not because they were in favor of alcohol, but because they wanted to end the gangland violence and loss of lives caused by organized crime, fueled by prohibition. Moms and concerned citizens can once again be instrumental in ending the 40 year failed war on drugs and the devastation that has been caused by it, because we are the major stakeholders in this war and because we voice concerns for the futures of our children.
History:
Moms United to End the War on Drugs, is a campaign of A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing) in partnership with a growing number of organizations. and individuals in a massive collaborative effort to change our current punitive policies of arrest and imprisonment to health-oriented and therapeutic strategies.
A New PATH is a non-profit organization of parents and concerned citizens working to reduce the stigma associated with addictive illness through education and compassionate support and to advocate for therapeutic rather than punitive drug policies. PATH was started in San Diego, California in 1999 by three parents, whose offspring have experienced both the devastation of the disease of addiction and the harmful effects of punitive incarceration. Executive Director and Co-Founder Gretchen Burns Bergman served as State Chairperson for Proposition 36, which mandates treatment instead of incarceration in California, in 2000.
In 2009, PATH started a statewide collaborative campaign, Moms United to End the War on Drugs, with a series of rallies, vigils and protests starting in San Diego and moving to Orange County, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Sacramento. A large rally was held at the State Capitol in Sacramento building in fall of 2009. Partner organizations included: Broken-No-More, Families Act, Clergy Against Prohibition and the Drug Policy Alliance. Many members actively supported the Proposition 19 campaign to end the criminalization of marijuana in California, a measure that received over 46% of the vote. In 2010 the campaign became a broader national movement with new partnerships across the United States calling for drug policy reform and an end to our country’s failed war on drugs.
In 2015 Moms United became an international campaign with partners in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Kenya and the UK
