Vermont voters overwhelmingly support decriminalizing currently illicit drugs and treating substance misuse as a public health issue, according to a new poll.
The survey released by Data for Progress and the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) on Thursday found widespread, bipartisan support for the basic principle of decriminalization, as well as specific legislation to achieve that reform that was introduced this year but did not advance.
More than four out of five Vermont voters (84 percent) said that they’re in favor of removing criminal penalties for simple drug possession, imposing a civil fine in lieu of incarceration and allocating resources for treatment and harm reduction, as proposed by legislators.
Via Data for Progress/DPA.
That support includes majorities of Democrats (91 percent), Republicans (68 percent) and independents (87 percent), the poll found.
As a general matter, 81 percent of voters overall said that they favor treating drug use as a health issue, compared to just 17 percent who said they think people who use illicit substances should face criminal penalties like incarceration.
Again, support for a public health approach to addiction extended across partisan lines, with 91 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of Republicans and 84 percent of independents agreeing with the
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