“Portuguese heroin isn’t as high quality as American heroin,” he complained. They chatted, with Capaz trying to figure out if the young man was in danger of taking up harder drugs. Portugal initially was scolded around the world for its experiment, as a weak link in the war on drugs, but today it’s hailed as a model. The World Health Organization and American Public Health Association have both praised decriminalization and a public health focus, as has the Global Commission on Drug Policy. One attraction of the Portuguese approach is that it’s incomparably cheaper to treat people than to jail them.

Source: New York Times September 22, 2017 07:18 UTC