Democratic Primary Debate: on Drugs


Andrew Yang: Decriminalize small opiate possession, safe injection sites

Part of helping people get the treatment that they need is to let them know that they're not going to be referred to a prison cell, they will be referred to treatment and counseling. We need to decriminalize opiates for personal use. Then we need to open up safe consumption and safe injection sites around the country because they save lives.
Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate Oct 15, 2019

Bernie Sanders: Opioid manufacturers profited & knew their products killed

Take a look at this opioid epidemic. You have the executive CEOs of major pharmaceutical companies making tens of millions of dollars a year, and they knew that they were selling a product which was addicting people and killing them. Last year, the top 10 drug companies made $69 billion in profit. This is what unfettered capitalism is doing to this country, and it's not just the drug companies. That is why we need a political revolution that says enough is enough to th
Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate Oct 15, 2019

Beto O`Rourke: Decriminalize opioids; legalize marijuana

I remember a veteran telling me that he bought heroin off the street because he was originally prescribed an opioid at the VA. Imagine that veteran instead had been prescribed marijuana, because we made that legal in America, ensured the VA could prescribe it, and made sure that he was not prescribed something to which he would become addicted. Drug addiction is not a problem for the criminal justice system. They're an opportunity for our public health system.
Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate Oct 15, 2019

Julian Castro: Send high-level executives to jail for opioids & corruption

Sen. Kamala HARRIS: I think of this as being a matter of justice and accountability, because they are nothing more than some high-level dope dealers. The eight biggest pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies last year profited $72 billion on the of people that have been overwhelmed by this crisis, which is a public health epidemic. They should be held accountable. Let's end that failed war on drugs and go after these pharmaceutical companies for what they've been doing to destroy

CASTRO: They need to be held accountable, not only financially, but also criminal penalties. You know, you can draw a straight line between making sure that we hold executives accountable, whether it's these drug manufacturers or Wall Street executives that should have been held accountable a decade and a half ago.

Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate Oct 15, 2019

Tom Steyer: 72,000 died from opioids last year; that's a health crisis

Q: How would you address the opioid epidemic?

Steyer: Well, I think this is one of the most heartbreaking experiences that America's had. 72,000 people died of opioid overdoses last year, and that's not only a tragedy for them, it's a tragedy for their family and their communities. And so I think we have to treat this as a health crisis. We have to move the resources and the support there to try and help people. The reason I'm running for president is that we have a broken government, and we have a broken government because corporations have bought it.

Q: What would you do about "broken government"?

Steyer: Every single one of these conversations is about that broken government. It's about drug companies buying the government and getting what they want. We need to break the corporate stranglehold on our government. I've put forward actual structural changes, including term limits, a national referendum, the end to the idea that corporations are people.

Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate Oct 15, 2019

  • The above quotations are from Democratic Primary Debate in Ohio, hosted by CNN and the New York Times.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Elizabeth Warren on Drugs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Kamala Harris on Drugs.
2020 Presidential contenders on Drugs:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Feb 09, 2020