"First it was Michael Jackson, then it was Amy Winehouse and now the magnificent Whitney Houston. I'd like to have every gentleman and lady in this room commit themselves to get our government to legalize drugs. So they have to get it through a doctor, not just some gangsters that sell it under the table."
That's what Tony Bennett said at a pre-Grammy Awards party on Saturday night, shortly after learning of the tragic death of Whitney Houston, and he's exactly right.
One of us (Neill) is a former police officer who fought -- and lost friends -- on the front lines of the failed "war on drugs." The other (Katharine) learned about the commonality of human pain in another difficult way -- spending two years in a residential facility ("rehab"). She wasn't there for drugs, but many of those struggling alongside her were.
Also read: Whitney Houston's Death: Why the Media Sidestepped the Lurid Details
There has been some confusion and criticism over Bennett's remarks and, because of our experience dealing with the pain and heartbreak of drug abuse and harmful drug laws, we feel compelled to expand upon his heartfelt remarks in the hopes that we can help break through some of the misunderstanding underlying the reaction to what Bennett said.
Bennett is an addict in long-term recovery in his own right -- once nearly dying from an overdose. Regardless of whether Houston's death ends up being shown to be caused by drugs, it's understandable he would be moved by her long-term struggle with drugs and by the recent series of other drug-related celebrity deaths.
Some of those criticizing Bennett's remarks don't seem to understand the role that prohibition of some drugs plays in stigmatizing all people battling addiction -- whether to legal or illegal drugs -- and how punitive drug laws create roadblocks to recovery.
For example: "Bennett's remarks were misleading because in every case he mentioned we are talking about legal prescription drugs or alcohol," addiction specialist Marty Ferrero told Fox News.
"No, sorry. She got legal drugs from her doctor," said songwriter Diane Warren. "So that was inappropriate," she told the Los Angeles Times.
Also read: Twitter Reacts to Whitney Houston's Death: Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton Grieve
These well-meaning folks sadly miss the point. It doesn't matter if you're hooked on alcohol, Xanax or illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine -- prohibition for some drugs stigmatizes all people struggling with addiction.
Period.
Addicts are not defined simply by their drug of choice nor the drug that is or is not their ultimate cause of death. Their entire lives are tragically plagued by the stigma that criminalization heaps upon them, and the marginalized underworld prohibition thrusts them into.
That is a painful and deadly component of the experience of anyone unlucky enough to live with a disease that, unlike cancer, our government tries to battle with handcuffs.
