What decades of research reveal about involuntary substance use treatment – and why evidence points elsewhere

Many cities are considering involuntary substance use treatment as a solution to drug use among the homeless. But research doesn’t support this strategy.

By: Susan E. Collins, University of Washington, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 2, 2026

Words: 1,572

Last Updated: 1 week, 2 days ago

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By Susan E. Collins, University of Washington

Since President Donald Trump issued a July 2025 executive order aimed at “ending crime and disorder on America’s streets,” national attention has increasingly focused on involuntary treatment as a response to visible homelessness and drug use.

A few months later, in September 2025, officials in Utah announced plans for a 16-acre facility on the edge of Salt Lake City that would hold up to 1,300 people experiencing …

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