The Atlantic

Letters: Treatment vs. Incarceration Is a ‘False Choice’

Readers discuss how to help victims of the opioid crisis—and how to end the epidemic.
Source: Jeremy Raff

A Narcotics Officer Ends His War on Drugs

As a narcotics cop, Kevin Simmers locked up hundreds of drug users. In Jeremy Raff’s documentary and the accompanying article he published in November, Simmers explained how his ideology on drug treatment and punishment changed when his 18-year-old daughter became addicted to opioids: “I now think the whole drug war is total bullshit,” Simmers said.


This article was informative and deeply touching for several reasons. I used to live in Hagerstown, and

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