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We are DPA

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) addresses the harms of drug use and drug criminalization through policy solutions, organizing, and public education. We advocate for a holistic approach to drugs that prioritizes health, social supports, and community wellbeing. DPA opposes punitive approaches that destabilize people, block access to care, and drain communities of resources. We believe that the regulation of drugs should be grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights. In collaboration with other movements, we change laws, advance justice, and save lives.

Two members of DPA staff speak with a community member in LA.

End the drug war. Invest in communities.

A DPA staff member leading a rally in Albany, NY. Her shirt reads "No More Drug War." A sign reads "Overdose Prevention Centers Save Lives".
People smiling in DPA's offices.

The drug war—and the elected leaders who uphold it—labels everyone who uses certain substances a criminal. Punitive drug laws serve as a tool of oppression. They aggressively target people of color and people experiencing poverty. A criminal record can block job, housing, and education opportunities. Drug criminalization creates fear that can stop people from getting help for addiction or during an overdose emergency. Under drug prohibition, fatal overdose rates have dramatically risen and illicit drugs are stronger and more available. For people caught in the drug war, the impacts are far-reaching and long-lasting. Our communities deserve a better future.

Drug criminalization devastates communities.

Instead of arresting people for drugs, we should respect people’s bodily autonomy and offer support if they need it. The U.S. government must reinvest the funds used to criminalize people for drugs to build communities up.

View all Drug Stats

1 MILLION arrests for drug possession each year in the U.S.

Learn More Source: FBI

$47 BILLION spent by the U.S. government each year enforcing the drug war.

Learn More Source: CATO Institute
Police in riot gear are lined up outside a city building.
DPA staff hug after a visit to the Housing Works cannabis dispensary in New York City.

We will end the drug war and build a better future, together.

We’re building a future without the drug war. We’re building a future where people are part of our community, regardless of their relationship to drugs. We’re building a future where people who use drugs are supported, not punished. We’re building a future where bodily autonomy is protected and respected. We’re building a future where drug policy is grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights.

Join Us

The Drug Policy Alliance is a 501c3 non-profit organization. We depend entirely on private donations to fund our work to end the drug war and promote new drug policies grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights. Your support is crucial – thank you!

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How We Do Our Work

DPA ensures that drug policy is grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights. We do this through public education, campaigns, civic engagement, grantmaking, movement building, research and academic engagement, and technical assistance.

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Our Priority Issues

DPA seeks to end the drug war, repair its harms, and build an approach that puts people first. We focus on community reinvestment, ending civil punishment, drug decriminalization, overdose prevention, legal regulation, and more.

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Our Wins Change Lives

Since 2000, DPA has led the way on creating cutting-edge policies that have fundamentally transformed the direction of drug policy in the U.S. and beyond. We are leading the movement to treat drug use as a health issue, not a criminal problem.

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Latest Actions

DPA provides numerous ways for supporters to influence drug policy on the local, state, and national level. Check on the latest actions and get involved.

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A young woman holds a sign that says "End the Drug War."

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