Portugal went from having one of the worst drug problems in the world to being one of the best nations in this regard. The nation changed their approach from one focusing on punishment to one focusing on rehabilitation. Written for my psychology class. Portugal entered the 21st century with one of the highest rates of heroin addiction (and subsequently HIV infection) in the entirety of Europe (Bajekal, 2018). The approach at the time was similar to America’s approach today: those found in violation of harsh drug policies entered the criminal system, and lawmakers simply condoned drug use. Consequently, addicts were socially distanced from their peers and families, likely pushing many users into heroin’s open arms. Despite Portugal spending a great deal of money “cracking down on drug users” its efforts did nothing to curb addiction in the nation, and a “large addicted inmate population” was now behind bars (Bajekal, 2018). In 2001, Portugal implemented a revolutionary approach: legalizing all drug use (Bajekal, 2018). By legalizing all drugs, Portugal was able to remove barriers that kept addicts from coming forward, as well as reallocate governmental services to better serve addicts as well as other citizens. Legalizing drug use means the police do not spend valuable time and resources putting addicts who need help into the criminal justice system, and can instead focus on actions that pose larger threats to society. Medical professionals, such as Lisbon’s drug outreach teams, are able to provide assistance and support, as well as educate those who use drugs judgment-free. Portugal abandoned the nearly global system of “[taking] addicts and [punishing] them and [making] them suffer, because we believed that would deter them; it would give them an incentive to stop” (Hari, n.d.) Alienating users simply push them to the fringes of society, away from the social support that can reel them back in, which makes perfect sense when a moment is taken to consider the effects of this behavior. Hari brings up the ‘Rat Park’ experiment run by Professor Bruce Alexander in the 1970s, and the Vietnam War, which he refers to as a ‘human experiment’, which both show users are not addicted to the chemical hooks in heroin, but to something else. Johann Hari shares, “a core part of addiction...is about not being able to bear to be present in your life.” These people feel as though they have nothing, or that they need an escape, and instead of being helped, society at large shames them, cuts ties with them, and throws them in jail. Maybe consequences such as jail will keep some people from using, but for many addicts it will function as a positive feedback loop, amplifying their desire to escape via a drug-induced high. Legalizing all drugs has been so successful in Portugal because the government actively works to assist addicts and to eliminate stigma against them. Those who have been pushed to ‘bond’ with drugs, as Hari describes it, are not forgotten and shut out by the system, they are treated as people who need help, which they are. Regardless of the legality of drugs, addicts globally should be treated as people who need help, not as “lazy” or “crazy” or “dangerous” or any of the other diminishing terms often used to describe emotional or mental ailments. Simply educating the population (including users and authorities) in an inclusive way can work wonders for helping prevent and treat addiction on a large scale. I believe the United States would find similar success if all drugs are legalized nationally. In this divisive time, however, I do not believe such legislation would be taken seriously if suggested. Americans can take the ‘War on Drugs’ into their own hands by working to lessen the social discrimination drug users face, and by forming meaningful connections with their friends and family. Taking steps to connect people may not solve the drug problem in America, but it cannot do any harm. It might even be better for all of us in the isolated world we live in today. Unlike Hari suggests, I believe online connections are not a “parody of human connection” and are actually incredibly helpful to those who feel as though they are trapped behind the masks we wear in everyday life. Going out (virtually in today’s quarantine-like conditions) and communicating with people could work wonders for reaching someone who has isolated themselves and ‘given in’ to drugs, or other forms of destructive behavior. References Bajekal, N. (2018, August 1). Want to Win the War on Drugs? Portugal Might Have the Answer. Retrieved from https://time.com/longform/portugal-drug-use-decriminalization/Hari, J. (n.d.). Transcript of "Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong". Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you_think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong/transcript?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare March 2020, 11th Grade
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