Eric Sterling - Inside the War on Drugs

Eric Sterling - Inside the War on Drugs

Imagine being at the heart of a policy that you later come to passionately oppose. That’s Eric Sterling’s journey. In 1979, a young and ambitious Sterling joined a Democrat-led House committee focused on tackling crime. Fast forward a year, and the political landscape had shifted dramatically with Ronald Reagan in the White House and Republicans in control of the Senate. Sterling found himself in the midst of an epic political tug-of-war, drafting the controversial mandatory minimum sentencing policy.

Now, three decades later, he’s one of its fiercest critics. Sterling has spent years speaking out against the very policies he helped create, highlighting their devastating impact on minority communities and how they perpetuate white privilege. He paints a vivid picture of political maneuvering and cynical exercises that shaped the anti-drug abuse act of 1986—a move he saw as a bid to help Democrats win the White House.

Realizing the failure of these policies, Sterling left Congress to establish the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, advocating for alternative solutions to the war on drugs. A significant takeaway from his story is the life-saving potential of harm reduction strategies like naloxone, contrasting sharply with punitive measures like mandatory minimums. Sterling’s narrative is a compelling call to rethink our approach to drug policy, focusing on truly effective solutions.

Tune in to hear Eric Sterling’s powerful story and join the conversation on reimagining drug policy.