Slow and incremental changes in federal and state drug policies are neither meeting treatment needs nor reversing yearly increases in drug-related mortality. U.S. drug policies convey confounding messages that non-sanctioned substance use leads to health problems that need treatment while simultaneously being legal problems that must be punished. As a result, drug treatments remain a sequestered component of health care, with onerous treatment requirements for patients and providers that act as barriers to the treatment that policies seek to allow. A new direction in drug policy is needed that broadens rather than restricts access to care and that also focuses on prevention. Policies must consider the totality of health and wellness, not just "last resort" safety nets for urgent needs. For substantive change in drug-related morbidity and mortality, forward-thinking policy must focus more on addiction prevention and address the known risks of developing a substance use disorder. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61 (6), 7-10.].