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>Does harm reduction include safe access to drugs? Only if it's part of an evidence-based and empirically validated strategy. We know that safe access to drugs
by jdietrich 3y ago
>Does harm reduction include safe access to drugs?
Only if it's part of an evidence-based and empirically validated strategy. We know that safe access to drugs can work as part of a harm reduction strategy, but there's also good reason to believe that thoughtless moves towards decriminalisation or legalisation can exacerbate harms. The Swiss model has worked incredibly well after a lot of difficult trial-and-error, but the Portuguese model is increasingly looking like a mistake. Even with the relatively lower-risk example of cannabis legalisation, we're seeing a very mixed picture in terms of outcomes. The devil is in the details.
- j0057 3y agoThe Portugal model consists of decriminalisation, harm reduction and rehabilitation, but the Portuguese government has basically defunded the rehabilitation programs. Seems to me no wonder that the approach is failing if you take away the one factor that would reduce addictions, but also disingenuous to claim that the entire approach was a mistake. It worked, and now after defending an important part of it, it no longer works. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-drugs-decriminalization-heroin-crack/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-dru...