Ernest Drucker, a supporter of public health, dies at the age of 84

Ernest Drucker, a pioneer public health researcher who approached the drug addiction with compassion, lively needle exchange programs to stop the AIDS epidemic and diagnosed the destructive influence of what he called the “scourge” of mass imprisonment, died on January 26 at his house in Manhattan. He was 84 years ancient.

The reason was complications of dementia, said his son Jesse Drucker.

For over three decades, Dr. Drucker, prepared with epidemiological evidence, conducted the most up-to-date campaigns to improve many prisoners; homeless; patients with tuberculosis; Employees exposed to asbestos; and drug users infected with HIV and their families, which were devastated by the consequences of AIDS. He was an early and clamorous supporter of rethinking the country’s approach to illegal drugs, which is in favor of “reduction of damage” – a strategy that priority treats negative consequences in relation to prosecution.

The clinical psychologist from training was a retired professor of family and social medicine at the Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx and was a senior research collaborator and a scholar at the place of residence in John Jay College of College of Criminal Justice of the City University from Recent York on Manhattan, where the bike went to work with Upper West Side.

Dr. Helene Gayle, an epidemiologist and former President of Spelman College in Atlanta, described Dr. Drucker We -Mail to his son: “Wrong problems that others would not affect. Uncological about humanity in all, including those who suffered the most injustice. “

After running a drug rehabilitation program in Bronx, Dr. Drucker knew the destructive possibilities of addictive drug addicts. But he argued that the prosecution of the addicts was only intensified the problem, forcing addicted underground, where threatening practices, such as sharing needles, caused HIV spread, and saddling them with criminal records that can make them unemployed.

“Our demonization of heroin transformed differently bland and controlled patterns of its utilize into fatal gambling and raised the threshold of searching for aid when problems arise,” he wrote in a letter to the Recent York Times in 1995. “Other countries are taking the strategy” restrictions on damage “, which (without drug legalization) recognize their widespread utilize and utilize methods (such as needle replacement) to even utilize for injection. “

He added that “our stubborn lack of recognition of the constant attractiveness of drugs and learning to control (instead of prohibiting) had tragic consequences.

Instead, he stated in his book “Plague prisoner: epidemiology of mass imprisonment in America” ​​(2011) that for 90 percent of drug crimes, which are a maid “criminalization can be replaced with a model of public and therapeutic health.”

Dr. Drucker established some of the first syringe replacement programs in the world, and in 1991, after he testified in favor, four members of the AIDS coalition in order to release power known as Act up, were acquitted in Jersey City, NJ, with fees related to fees To launch a needle replacement program to prevent AIDS spreading.

He warned that the AIDS epidemic not only affects gays, but also more and more destructive indigent, not white families. He said that heterosexual relations in some Bronx districts became a form of “sexual Russian roulette” that ordered children.

“Nobody, from afar, has reversed more up-to-date ideas for research, politics and spokesman, of which many resulted in influential publications, up-to-date organizations and changes in politics on all aspects of damage reduction, as well as drug treatment, public health and public health and public health and public health and public health and public health and public health The reform of the judiciary in criminal matters, “said Ethan A. Nadelmann, the founder of the Second Policy Alliance, who opposed the war with drugs.

Dr. Drucker was the founder and chairman of the Doctors of the World/USA in 1993-1997, he was the editor founder of Chief of Harm Reduct Journal and the founder of The Founter of the International Association of Damage Reduction.

In his praise, Professor David Michaels from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and former administrator of the Federal Administration of Safety and Health of Labor, said that Dr. Drucker was a “real man of the Renaissance of public health, led by deep involvement in integrity and justice. He took care of people deeply – this can be seen in his work on the reduction of damage, insisting that we should not punish people for who they are and the decisions they make, but instead we should aid them become healthier and more fulfilled. “

Ernest Mor Drucker was born on March 29, 1940 in Brooklyn. His father, Joseph, was an ITT driver. His wife, Beatrice (Strugl) Drucker, managed the house.

Ernest grew up in the Bilugh Brighton Beach section and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School with plans to become an engineer, but sentenced psychology as a major at the City College of Recent York, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in 1962.

At Montefiore/Einstein, where he was a student of DRS. H. Jack Geiger and Victor Sidel, two supporters of healthcare for the indigent, was the director of health and public policy research and the founder director of the 1000-patient of the drug treatment program in which he served until 1990.

He periodically invented himself professionally, focusing on addiction from heroin, public health, professional safety, AIDS and alternatives to prison.

In addition to his son, Jesse, the Recent York Times investigative reporter, his wife, Jeri (Rosner) Drucker, artist, survived; His brother, Alan Drucker; and two grandchildren.