Winifred Tate, Associate Professor of Anthropology, is lead author on the newly issued ACLU report “A Better Path for Maine: The Case for Decriminalizing Drugs.” The report documents the high toll that drug laws have had on Maine communities, drawing both from interviews conducted with people across the state and reviews of public records requests and public health scholarship. The report’s recommendations aim to reduce harm to and assist people who use drugs as well as identify better use of public funds by shifting policy away from existing efforts to punish and towards investments in communities and connection.