April 23, 2019

APRIL 23 - APRIL 29, 2019

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

OPINION

PAGE 4

English Conversation Group: Conquering language barriers

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

PAGE 6

Decriminalize personal drug use

‘Frozen’ looks at what it means to forgive and unfreeze

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

The final play for the spring semester put on by the Department of Theatre and Dance is “Frozen.” This certainly is not a take on the Disney film, but a rather intense play about forgiving and moving on.‌ Taran Haynes, senior theatre major, is directing Bryony Lavery’s “Frozen” as part of his senior thesis project. This is the second play to be directed this semester by a theatre student, the first being “Betrayal,” by Paitton Reid. ‌ “Frozen” is the story of the intersection of the three main characters’ (Nancy, Agnetha and Ralph) lives. Nancy’s 10-yearold daughter is murdered by Ralph. While Ralph is serving his sentence in prison, Agnetha, an American psychiatrist who is studying how to deal with something as gruesome and traumatic as a child being murdered, visits Ralph to study and question him further. The story follows the theme of what it means to forgive, the process of healing and how to move on — or to stop being frozen — from a situation that can haunt someone for decades.‌ Devan Hawkins, senior social work major, plays the grieving mother Nancy. Hawkins talked about the recurring concept of forgiveness in the play and how the characters are making decisions as people do in real life. ‌

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE

“Frozen” opens April 26 at the Harper Studio Theater.

“Nancy is like any other person. I always consider her very normal, she’s a mom with marital problems, just like the millions of other moms with marital problems. The reality of the situation is that this could happen to anybody and that’s what I think makes it that much more impactful because we never ask for tragedy in our lives, but how we choose to react to it is what defines us as people,” Hawkins said.‌ In the play, Agnetha, portrayed by Angela Colavecchio, is trying to figure out if their aberrations are caused by deformation to the physical brain, and what makes serial killers do the

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things they do. The events and topics that occur in the play — violence and criminal psychology — happen in real life, which made Haynes curious and led him to more study. Eventually, Haynes prosed the question for his research, “how can a production like this go on to move the needle in terms of stopping or preventing real serial killers in the future from committing these types of crimes?” ‌ Haynes chose “Frozen” after scoping out the resources available to him and eventually it “made the most sense” to choose it. He also mentioned how he enjoyed the “human” aspect of the play, giving the example that

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episodes of “CSI” or “Criminal Minds” play to the viewers’ fascination of serial killers while “Frozen” takes the route of viewing Ralph as a person with big issues who does some of the most unimaginable things. ‌ “[Ralph] does not do it by some alien force, he is not a mustache-twisting villain, he’s a person. [‘Frozen’] explores the character as a human and not only that, but the science around human qualities,” Haynes said.‌ The theater thesis project consists of a research project and then the directing of the show itself. This is Haynes’ first full-length production as director.‌

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Theater professor, Brian Cook, is the actor rather than the director for this show. He plays the murderer Ralph, but also is serving as the prop and sound designer for the show. He is overseeing the two thesis projects Haynes and Reid have been working on all semester. ‌ “I told both [Haynes and Reid], ‘I’m really proud of you because what I saw were two directors who really knew what they were doing and had everything under control.’ Walking in as a student, directing this giant show with tech and everything, with all the student actors who are their peers and friends, it’s a challenge. But they’ve been doing a really good job,” Cook said. “I’ve been impressed.”‌ Haynes is looking forward to sharing his production with the university and public.‌ “I’m wildly proud of the work of everyone involved in this production has done,” Haynes said.

“It has not been easy. Since a lot of us are students figuring things out and it’s been complicated with sorting unexpected events that happen, but has made this production an incredible learning opportunity.”‌ “Frozen” is open for three nights only, April 26, 27 and 28.

Friday and Saturday’s showings are at 8 p.m. and Sunday’s showing is at 5 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building’s Harper Studio Theater. Tickets can be purchased at ArtsUAA.com at $4.99 for students and $9.99 for the general public. ‌

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

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House Bill 102 would tax car-sharing companies

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

Should those who “share” their cars with others on digital platforms be taxed? What does “sharing” even mean?‌ House Bill 102, sponsored by Rep. Adam Wool and short-titled the “Vehicle Rental Modernization Act,” would allow the Alaska Department of Revenue to collect taxes on peer-to-peer car-sharing transactions, just as a standard car rental service like Enterprise or Hertz pay taxes.‌ “HB 102 brings equity to the rental industry for motor vehicles, and will generate additional income for the State’s gen-

eral fund as the private vehicle rental network industry continues to grow and diversify in the Alaskan economy,” Wool wrote in his sponsor statement, available under documents on HB 102’s Alaska State Legislature website.‌ The concept of peerto-peer car-sharing is like Airbnb: utilizing someone else’s privately-owned property with the compensation of money per day, booking the desired service through a website or mobile app. However, instead of opting to stay in someone’s guest bedroom for a couple of nights instead of a major hotel, car-sharing customers are renting someone’s RAV4 or minivan for the week instead of renting from a

major car rental company.

This allows someone who has an unused vehicle to earn some extra cash by “sharing” it. ‌ Turo, a San Franciscobased company, is one example of a car-sharing business. Ethan Wilson, a representative of Turo, was present at the House Labor and Commerce Committee’s hearing on HB 102 in Juneau on April 8. Wilson gave testimony at the hearing to express Turo’s opposition to the bill. ‌ “We find it frustrating that the proponents of this bill have kept the peer-topeer car-sharing industry in the dark. Alaska is just the latest attempt, or experiment, to stuff peer-topeer car-sharing into a box

of antiquated, complex and corporately manipulated regulation and taxation,” Wilson said during his testimony. ‌ Turo does not own any of the cars available to customers. They are only the platform that allows people to offer their cars for rent. However, they do take about 25 percent of the revenue made per transaction, according to Wilson. Turo has a presence in Alaska cities like Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, with approximately 700 Alaskan hosts. Wilson did not have numbers for the gross revenue that Alaskans received from Turo, but said that, on average, monthly income for Turo hosts was about $300. ‌

Wilson stated that Turo is not “anti-tax,” but rather willing to work out a “taxation framework,” or appropriate and fair carsharing businesses like theirs. He called Turo’s transactions “inherently different” — as it is people sharing their own, personal vehicle— than what is offered at a standard car rental. Similar to Turo, other peer-to-peer car sharing platforms and apps include Getaround, car2go and Zipcar. ‌ Brian Rothery is vice president of government and public affairs for Enterprise Holdings, the company that operates Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental companies. Rothery gave testimony in support of HB

102 via phone call at the Committee’s recent April 15 teleconference meeting.‌ “We view this as a new source of supply into an existing market,” Rothery said of car-sharing platforms that are purely digital, during the teleconference.‌ Rothery, later on, commented that there’s “nothing wrong” with car-sharing platforms, but rather hopes to see a set of rules embraced, fair for all companies who are competing for customers. ‌ The April 17 hearing for HB102 was canceled.

The next scheduled hearing was on Monday, April 22. ‌‌

FEATURES 04 Under-used resource at UAA conquers language barriers THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

By Mary Ryan

features@thenorthernlight.org

In front of a world map, University of Alaska Anchorage students and others from the Anchorage community gather for casual English conversation.

Members of the English Conversation Group sit in a circle of couches to discuss language and cultural barriers they face and build their confidence in speaking the English language.‌ “English Conversation is de-

signed to be a comfortable, casual space for people to come and practice speaking [English],” Program Specialist Heather Teel said. “We are supposed to speak up in class, and if you’re not confident in that or don’t believe you can or you think you will make a fool of yourself, then you’re not going to [participate in class discussion].”‌ Organized by Teel and run by journalism student Elena Peyton Jones, the English Conversation Group meets in the Learning Commons located in UAA’s Sal-

ly Monserud Hall every Friday from 12-1 p.m.‌ Peyton Jones, who has been with the English Conversation Group for two years, is also an academic coach. She volunteered abroad in Peru and other countries, where she gained experience talking to people with very different mindsets than her own.‌ Teel, who studied abroad and speaks Japanese, French and Spanish, took over the English Conversation Group in the summer of 2018. She and the original manager, assistant director Maegan Cieciel, started the program about two years ago to compensate for the lack of English as a second language, or ESL, courses at UAA.‌ “We have a lot of people for whom English is something they are still learning or still need to develop the nuances for being in an academic setting,” Teel said.

“We want to make sure that they can succeed as well as those who don’t have this problem.”‌ Peyton Jones and Teel work to build the oral-skill confidence of those who attend English Conversation Group. Teel brainstorms topics to start with, but the open-ended meetings often

branch out to other topics. ‌ “[The purpose] is to give people a better opportunity to stop and ask questions when they don’t understand something or to ask clarifying questions that maybe has to do with culture.

[Someone might ask,] ‘When you use this word in this context, it means something different, so why is that?’” Peyton Jones said.‌ In the past, the group included exchange students who showed notable improvement in their English-speaking skills by the end of one semester and agreed that the program really helped them speak up in class with confidence. ‌‌ While the group is primarily to help speakers of foreign languages in academic settings, it is open-ended enough to the point where students with speech impediments or people outside of UAA may also take advantage of this opportunity.

Parents whose first language is not English are also encouraged to come to be able to help their children with homework. ‌ The English Conversation Groups is a valuable resource at UAA. However, only a few people have been showing up.‌ “I know that it works, we just

have to get people to come,” Teel said.‌ Peyton Jones echoed Teel’s desire to expand the reach of the group.‌ “I think there are a lot of students who need this service but maybe don’t know about it or are feeling shy,” she said.‌ Teel and Peyton Jones offer encouragement and welcome anyone who thinks they might benefit from this Learning Commons service.‌ “It’s a really comfortable environment. We sit on couches and sometimes we have donuts.

It’s absolutely chill,” Teel said. ‌ Those who might be hesitant to join the conversation may come to listen.‌ “Just hearing native speakers talk can be really helpful,” Peyton Jones, who is currently learning Korean and Arabic, said.‌ Teel hopes to improve outreach in the fall semester to build attendance. Anyone interested in improving their confidence speaking English may stop by on Fridays from 12-1 p.m.‌ For more information, visit or call the information desk in the Learning Commons at (907) 786-6890.‌

“What’s your story?”: the people behind the signs

By Mary Ryan

features@thenorthernlight.org

Two men sat waiting in the corner of the west entrance to Rasmuson Hall last Thursday afternoon. Every Thursday from 1-4 p.m., in fact, they hold up a sign that says, “What’s your story?” Two others do the same in the west entrance of the Social Sciences Building.‌ UAA students walk by and wonder, “What is their story?”‌ “Everybody has something that they want or need to talk about but feel like they can’t,” Eric Burleson said.‌ Burleson and David Desjarlais, who come to the Rasmuson Hall, are not UAA students.

Currently working with the Valley Church of Christ, they drive to Anchorage from Wasilla every week as Christian missionaries of the Adventures in Missions program.‌ Burleson, Desjarlais, Andrew Hanson and Lizzie Price, the two missionaries who go to the Social Sciences Building, are here to support college students.‌ “We saw that there was a need and figured we had to do something to help,” Burleson said.‌ They recognize that isolation and loneliness can be a widespread problem for college students due to modern social dy-

PHOTO BY MARY RYAN

David Desjarlais and Eric Burleson sit outside Rasmuson Hall.

namics.‌ “Here in Alaska, the depression rate is really high. The suicide rate is twice as high as the national average. In college campuses, it seems to be a lot worse,” Desjarlais said. “We live in a society where its almost not okay to have problems... people feel they need to hide behind a

mask.”‌ Their solution is to help in whatever way they can, even simply being present.‌ “Our goal is to just remind people here on campus that there are people who are willing to talk to them or kind of lighten their burden or just get to know them a little bit,” Burleson said.‌

Both Burleson and Desjarlais are from Texas, where Adventures in Missions is based. They first started holding up the sign at Texas Tech University in January of 2018.‌ “It worked so well and helped so many people in Lubbock, Texas, so it’s bound to help people here, and I think it has,” Bur-

leson said.‌ The Adventures in Missions program sent them to Alaska in May of 2018. They have been visiting UAA since August of the same year and will continue for the next 18-22 months.‌ Many students walk by in silence, but Desjarlais, Burleson, Hanson and Price are able to remind those who step aside to chat with them that they are not alone.‌ “Sometimes we get a little bit more than other weeks, but we almost always have someone who will stop by and talk for a little bit,” Burleson said.‌ Intrigued by their sign, UAA student Mari Gorash approached Burleson and Desjarlais a few months ago. ‌ “They let me talk about my life, and then I asked them questions,” Gorash said. “There’s something very therapeutic about talking to people on that level.”‌ The missionaries enjoy having encounters with students. ‌ “It’s amazing to be reminded that everyone has a story,” Desjarlais said. “A lot of the things I hear, I’ve gone through myself.

We often feel like our problems only affect us or are only happening to us. It’s a great reminder for me and for them [that we don’t have to face our problems alone].”‌‌

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

05

UAA runners and jumpers break records in California

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolves track and field team spent the weekend of April 18-20 in California competing in several different meets. They first competed and broke records at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University and then moved to the Beach Invitational hosted by Long Beach State on Saturday.‌ At Bryan Clay, four school records were broken and many personal-bests were made.‌ Junior Vanessa Aniteye explained that everyone came out ready to compete their best for this weekend.

“We had strong relays and individual performances because everyone was just ready to compete and hit some good marks before GNAC and last chance,” Aniteye said.‌ Senior Danielle McCormick finished the 800 meter in 2:05.00, lowering her own previous UAA school record.‌ Senior and previous UAA volleyball star Chrisalyn Johnson also broke her own school record in the long jump by jumping 19-5.25 feet.‌ In the 5,000-meter, senior Caroline Kurgat lowered her previous school record to finish the race in 15 minutes and 40 seconds.‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM EBERHARDT

Vanessa Aniteye competes at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University.

For a new school record, sophomore decathlete David Sramek was the first ever Seawolf to leap over 15 feet in the pole vault, setting the school record to 15-1.‌ In addition to the school records, many athletes set personal-bests, including junior Elena Cano, who ran a 14.77 in 100-meter hurdles. Aniteye completed the 200-meter dash in 24.84 seconds. Junior Os-

hane Hylton finished his bestever 200m in 21.93 seconds.

Freshman Drew Johnson ran the 1,500m in 3:52.46. And, the last of the personal-bests set, sophomore Ruth Cvancara ran the 800-meter in 2:10.27.‌ “Both Dani [McCormick] and I are ranked to make it to nationals with the times we got this weekend. The pool of competition at both Azusa and Long Beach provided awesome op-

portunities to have great races,” Cvancara said.‌ Cvancara also explained that they both hope to keep lowering their times as the season progresses.‌ In addition to the success seen at the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Seawolves also excelled at the Long Beach State meet.‌ The women took over the 400-meter. Aniteye (54.99) fin-

ished sixth, followed by Tylantiss Atlas (56.76) at 25th, McCormick (56.93) at 27th and Marie Ries (57.28) at 33rd out of the total 90 runners in the event.‌ “We had strong performances in the women’s 400 with a great season opener from Ty [Atlas] and a new personal best for Marie [Ries] in the 400. 800’s were also very strong. Dani [McCormick] with another school record and Ruth Pr’ed in the 800,” Aniteye explained.‌ She credits a lot of their success this season to having a solid coaching staff and new additions to allow adequate time and attention to each athlete, in contrast to previous years.‌ Cano also tied her personal best in the 100-meter hurdles set the previous day, finishing in 14.77 seconds.‌ The men’s team also brought out their sprint relay, composed of Sramek, Hylton, Chris Brake and Enrique Campbell to make up the 4x100. They finished ninth with a time of 41.90.‌ “I’m pretty happy with how we did as a team. That makes me really excited for GNAC because I’m certain we have a team that’s going to compete strong,” Aniteye said.‌ After two successful meets, the Seawolves will have a break before they return to the Ken Shannon Invite in Seattle on May 3. ‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

06

Closing the School of Education is the right thing to do

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

It’s not the fun thing to do. The School of Education is such a significant and integral part of UAA that dissolving it feels like losing a part of the university’s identify. Teaching is no fringe profession, either. UAA is effectively exiting from a section of the economy that develops Alaska’s future.‌ So when UA President Jim Johnsen recommended the closure of the School of Education, strong reactions started to pour in. It feels defeatist, as if UAA is just giving up on some blighted programs that lost accreditation in January. Some fear a domino effect that would evoke the closure of more programs in the future. But Johnsen’s recommendation is the right thing to do, given the unfortunate circumstances. It charts a path forward for UAA that would prevent financial waste and guarantee transparency for students.‌ The Board of Regents recently convened to debate the future of the School of Education. There weren’t many options available. They could keep the school open and pursue reaccredita-

tion, which could take up to three years.

USUAA Student Government supported that option. The second option was fully teaching out the unaccredited programs until the last student is graduated in three years. The third option, Johnsen’s recommendation, would shutter the programs

by Aug. 31 of this year. ‌ Keeping the School of Education open and pursuing reaccreditation sounds inspiring. It feels like UAA could restore everything back to normal and put this whole debacle in the past. But it just isn’t realistic. Pursuing reaccreditation is a lengthy and costly process, one which would be difficult for Johnsen to justify to the state when the governor is activity pursuing spending reductions. In a memo, Johnsen specified that reaccreditation would require around $139,000 for consultants, an assessment coordinator and accreditor training.‌ All of that money spent doesn’t even guarantee reaccreditation. The relevant accrediting agency, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, is profoundly out-of-touch with the students and faculty that it condemns. UAA could go through the whole reaccreditation process, all while teaching education

students and accepting new ones, only to have CAEP suddenly reject us again in the 2020s. No student should have to go through college knowing that their licensure may or may not be valid upon graduation. ‌ The second option, teaching out the programs, has even more problems. This process would not accept any new students, but just keep the School of Education open until the last student graduates. Although this option doesn’t pursue reaccreditation, it has plenty of cringeworthy expenses itself. The school would effectively become mothballed over time, which describes a condition where assets (faculty, equipment, buildings, contracts) are paid for even as the whole program gradually slips further into disuse. Mothballing is typically a recipe for financial waste. It means investing in something that doesn’t have a future. Additionally, there is too much uncertainty to tolerate.

There is no guarantee that faculty would want to keep working a job that will end when the last student graduates, transfers or drops out. It is also unclear as to what student would knowingly continue through an unaccredited program that is not seeking reaccreditation. ‌

So we arrive at the third option: close the programs in the School of Education.

It hurts, but there’s no better way forward.

Closure would save about $500,000 annually, according to Johnsen. Money isn’t the only consideration, though. This plan would also provide education students in the Anchorage area with a confident path towards licensure, albeit outside of UAA. UAF and UAS both have accredited education programs of their own, and they possess the ability to offer classes in Anchorage. Some of these classes may be online, and others may even utilize the faculty that formerly worked in UAA’s shuttered School of Education. ‌ Above all, UAA needs to be fully transparent with its students. Closing the unaccredited programs is unambiguous.

It ensures that UAA will not be collecting tuition from students on an uncertain promise of future licensure. If the university is going to take anyone’s money, then it can only justifiably do so when it can guarantee its end of the bargain: a legitimate tool for career success. The School of Education can’t make that guarantee now, so its closure is the best path forward.‌

Decriminalize personal drug use

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

The War on Drugs is an easy punching bag. It has been nearly half a century since President Nixon declared the crackdown, and there’s nothing but misery to show for it. Almost $1 trillion in costs, the world’s largest incarcerated population, racially-charged enforcement and systematic trampling of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unwarranted search and seizure. Yet, drug use in this country is undefeated. Marijuana laws have been liberalized, to varying degrees, in most states despite inaction at the federal level. Epidemics of drug abuse, such as the estimated 11 million people misusing prescription opioids, persist as pharmaceutical companies and drug traffickers grow wealthier every day.‌ The War on Drugs will never succeed because it is, at its core, focused on demand. It’s wildly punitive nature was conceived at the beginning, as Nixon sought to subjugate the hippie and minority voting blocs that were less likely to re-elect him. Politicians after him found drug enforcement to be a useful political tool as well, either for looking tough or building a wall on the border with Mexico. Drug use has long been maligned in American political culture, which is best described as an unlikely blend of personal liberty and behavioral puritanism.‌ But while contemporary reformists have criticized the War on Drugs, few are proposing

creative solutions. That’s where we need to interrogate the fundamentals of drug enforcement.

Why is personal drug use scandalous? Safely altering your mind can be fun, sexy and enlightening. Why are we arbitrarily choosey with what drugs we allow? Addiction clearly isn’t the measure, since cigarettes and alcohol cause plenty of that. Why is criminalization the default method? If we wish to help someone in need, ruining their life with prosecution and incarceration isn’t particularly thoughtful.‌ If we are to be a society that values personal liberty, then we need to recognize that every individual has the right to consciously do whatever they please with their own property. That includes your body and whatever you put inside of it. The only exceptions are actions that could harm others, such as driving while inebriated, or sharing drugs with people who cannot rationally consent, such as children. ‌ Decriminalizing personal drug use requires two clarifications. First, we distinguish between drug use and drug abuse and respond accordingly. Second, we liberalize the personal demand for drugs before considering the supply of them. ‌ Drug use is consensual, recreational and safe. Drug abuse is addictive, compulsory and dangerous. Both should be legal but warrant different responses from the community at large.

Distinguishing between use and abuse requires science-driven risk assessment on each drug, as

well as evaluating the behavior of an individual. ‌ Research has found that depressants like cannabis and hallucinogens like psilocybin, colloquially known as “magic mushrooms,” rank among the safest illicit drugs. Scientists at the John Hopkins University conducted a year-long study that experimented with varying doses of psilocybin and found that the potential for adverse effects during drug use is correlated with the organ toxicity of a drug, as well as the quantity consumed. In other words, users can maximize safety by avoiding excessive doses and choosing drugs that are non-toxic to human organs. That seems obvious in theory, but our laws have yet to reflect the reality of safe drugs. The federal government still classifies cannabis and psilocybin alongside heroin in Schedule I, the most dangerous category of drugs.‌ Decriminalizing safe drugs is easier for people to get behind. But we shouldn’t stop there. We need to decriminalize the consumption of unsafe drugs as well. This requires sympathy and creativity.‌ For example, heroin is a thoroughly vile drug. There is no safe dosage for it, and it is highly addictive and lethal. Few people need convincing of that. But they do need convincing on why busting homeless heroin users in a police raid doesn’t do much to help those people. Law enforcement can rough them up, levy fines that they won’t pay, slap a felony on their record and even incarcerate them in a prison full

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

of actually violent criminals.

Yet, recidivism remains high and users frequently relapse into their addictions.‌ The problem is that we are treating users of unsafe drugs as criminals when we should be treating them as patients. They need to be helped, not punished.

Safehouse, a non-profit in Philadelphia, is attempting to be the first in the nation to make good on this philosophy. They are trying to open a drug injection site in the city, where addicts can use illicit substances in a controlled environment. Instead of police, there are medical professionals on site to provide sterilized paraphernalia, prevent and treat overdose, dispose of the used paraphernalia and connect users to rehabilitation options.

The benefits of supervised consumption include a reduction in needle-sharing, saving lives via overdose reversal, educating patients on safer drug use and voluntary rehabilitation. ‌ If Safehouse is successful, then other cities should use it as a model for opening their own drug injection sites. Unfortu-

nately, federal prosecutors are currently suing to prevent the opening of Safehouse. Cities and states will need to take a tougher stance in resisting federal overreach.‌ Decriminalizing personal drug use is a policy concerning the consumption of drugs, not the sale of them. Many people assume that decriminalization has to immediately involve both the supply and the demand for a drug. That is not the case. For example, Portugal was the first country to decriminalize the possession and consumption of all drugs. They did so without changing the sale and manufacture of drugs. ‌ We should copy Portugal’s process. This helps prevent the threat of turning harmful drug dealers into legal businessmen overnight since their financial incentive is to increase addiction rates. After decriminalizing possession and consumption, the public can gradually consider legalizing the manufacture and sale of certain drugs based on scientifically-supported risk assessment and local factors. ‌

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