A Tale of 2 Countries' Approach Against Drug Addictions: A Case Study on the US and Portugal10/29/2017 Reading this New York Times' article really gives an interesting analysis between the 2 different approaches of the United States and Portugal regarding drug legalization, harm reduction, and drug addiction treatment.
On one hand there is the U.S. where they chose to declare a war on drugs and on the other, the Portuguese government decided to decriminalize all drugs. and undertake a harm reductionist approach. Although there are differences in terms of culture, these case studies really shows that a hardline stance on drugs just does not work. The U.S. has been battling the war on drugs since the 1971 Nixon administration and ramped up their efforts since the Regan era. Incarcerating individuals does not work and the best practice from the evidence appears to be harm reduction. As someone who grew up in North America, the public needs to be educated and needs to re-evaluate how we view individuals and their addictions. The idea that harm reduction means that the Public Health sector condones drugs is a misconception. We need to do better to reduce the risks because pragmatically, we will never completely stop individuals from abusing drugs (illicit or prescription) but we still need to preserve and respect these individuals' rights to healthcare and try and aid them to do so in ways that are less harmful. This past week, the HEP society at UL hosted Dr. Patrick O'Donnell to discuss harm reduction and the efforts currently being undertaken in Limerick. It was interesting and refreshing to learn that the Irish mandate to combat drugs is harm reduction. This will be a very interesting year to learn more about the health care system here in Ireland and what more needs to be done for individuals who unfortunately are in the midst of addiction. Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. Harm Reduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs. A harm reductionist approach considers the following principles central to harm reduction practice:
New York Times Article Discussed in this post: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/opinion/sunday/portugal-drug-decriminalization.html?smid=tw-share Previous U.S. Reports on Approaches to Drug Addictions 1995 - Criminalization and Incarceration (Zero Tolerance) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7639447 2015 - Harm Reduction and Decriminalization Suggestion https://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/Contributions/Civil/DrugPolicyAlliance/DPA_Fact_Sheet_Approaches_to_Decriminalization_Feb2015_1.pdf Irish Harm Reduction Mandate http://www.drugs.ie/resourcesfiles/research/2004/32981_NACD_HR_Report.pdf Charleen Salmon is a 1st year student in GEMS at the University of Limerick
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