Susan Ousterman: Losing a child is a primal injustice, so it’s natural to want to seek justice, but justice isn’t putting more people in jail. We as parents have the power to change the way addiction is treated in this country, but we have to get on the same page.
I’ve met with lawmakers and talked about decriminalization. Oftentimes their response is, but what about this group of parents who want their dealers arrested?
Drug induced homicide laws are so dangerous, and I understand that families feel a need to get justice sadly, this isn’t justice. This is vengeance, and there’s a difference. They will arrest anyone, and it’s usually a friend of your child, who also needs help.
We were all failed by the same problematic drug policies and systemic failures.
No parent wants to cause more harm. The last thing we need in this country is more pain. We grieve every day, every day, often our grief isn’t recognized by others because they see us, as our children, somehow deserve this.
Justice isn’t causing more death. Justice is making things better for those who are suffering, giving our children what they needed, even though we may not have been able to at the time.
We need to work together so that we can have compassionate treatment for people who are suffering from addiction.
About Susan Ousterman: In 2020, Susan lost her son Tyler to an accidental overdose of fentanyl and xylazine. Today, she fiercely advocates for a public health approach to drug use to prevent overdose, improve health, and save lives.
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