Pictures of Kate Moss Using Cocaine Lead to Job Losses and Police Investigation

Following the Daily Mirror’s published pictures of supermodel Kate Moss allegedly snorting cocaine, British police today announced that they will conduct an investigation. Moss has admitted the pictures are real. However, police said they will need more evidence than pictures in a newspaper.

In the aftermath of the Daily Mirror story, H & M, Chanel and Burberry dropped Moss from future ad campaigns. While Kate Moss’ cocaine scandal may cause her career to suffer, advocates point out that hundreds of thousands of Americans are spending years behind bars for non violent drug offenses.

“The case of Kate Moss reminds us that substance use does not discriminate,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Alliance. “Unfortunately, our drug policies do.”

While African Americans are no more likely to use drugs than whites, African Americans are 13 times more likely to be incarcerated for drug offenses. The United States incarcerates more people for non violent drug offenses than Western Europe does for all offenses, although they have 100 million more residents than the United States.

“If Kate Moss has a substance abuse problem, then she should have access to effective treatment options instead of facing jail time,” said Nadelmann. “As a society we also need to ensure the same compassion and opportunity for those who are not rich and famous.”