An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at Portugal’s radical move to decriminalize all drug use in 2001 and expand harm reduction and access to treatment, and whether this could provide a useful model for the U.S. to tackle its ongoing drug crisis. In Portugal, the experience has been generally positive: while addiction still exists, overdose deaths have plummeted, along with HIV infections from intravenous drug use.
Outreach to substance abusers is widespread, including “methadone vans” and counseling facilities, with the goal of keeping users alive so they can enter treatment. Some U.S. cities are doing this on a piecemeal basis, so it’s unclear whether the Portuguese approach would work on a large scale. More importantly, Portugal changed its attitude about drugs, making recovery a priority—a goal that should also be adopted n the U.S.
Meanwhile, a new CDC report on methamphetamines shows that 1.6 million adults used the drug and 25 percent injected it, based on data from 2015 to 2018. Despite such widespread use, the report says that less than one third of adults received substance abuse treatment—a troubling finding highlighting the lack of resources dedicated to the growing meth crisis.
And finally, medical marijuana registrations in Massachusetts—which require a physician’s recommendation—spiked 245 percent during the coronavirus pandemic after Governor Charlie Baker closed recreational pot shops. It’s the biggest monthly increase since pot was legalized, as consumers scramble to stock up on the drug as the coronavirus lockdown continues.