During the past few weeks I have heard several local citizens complaining about drug use in our community and the waste of government funds as they attempt to throw money at the overdose epidemic.
Some comments I hear are:
“Let them kill themselves,”
“You can’t help someone who will not help themselves,”
“We should lock them up and throw away the key,”
“They don’t want our help,”
“They get what they deserve.”
These comments sound cold, but I for one, do not believe the people saying these things are callous. I know many of these people and I will be the first to attest they are good, caring people; strong members of our community; people willing to step up and help anyone in need – so what is really going on?
Taxpayers are simply at their whit’s end. We have watched as millions and millions of our hard earned dollars have been thrown at this problem year after year with few results.
Since we declared a “war on drugs” more than 50 years ago, we as a society have tried television campaigns, public information awareness, school counselling, employer awareness programs, rehabilitation centres, jail time. The list goes on.
We have sent our youth to jail and branded tens of thousands of adults as criminals for life. Our men in blue have been occupied combating the problem from coast to coast. Our judges have ordered offenders to undergo expensive mandatory treatment, all paid for by us, Joe & Jane Taxpayer.
The war on drugs is the longest battle Canada has ever fought and we are losing. Anyone who isn’t prepared to accept this sad truth is fooling themselves.
No one wants to give up, but it is time to admit it: what we think we should do, what we are doing, and what we plan to do is not working. It is time to try something totally different, maybe not something we think is right.
One of the toughest things for any person to do is admit when they are wrong. One of the wisest things a person can learn is when it’s time to turn the page and when it is time to close the book. So, I propose we look at Portugal.
Portugal has re-written the book on drug addiction. Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands have been studying Portugal’s new textbook, doing their homework and getting honor grades for the first time in their own battle against drugs. What caused these results? Portugal decriminalized all drugs, from marijuana to heroin.
Instead of arresting drug users, offenders with what is considered less than a 10-day supply of a drug receive a “citation” to appear before a panel of treatment and industry experts. In many cases, the citation is suspended. Repeat appearances before the panel will get you drug substitution therapy and counselling. The idea is that in a society where drugs are less stigmatized, more users will seek help, and treatment is less expensive than jail, so offer that instead. It seems to be working.
In just over a decade Portugal has cut their number of drug overdose fatalities by more than 50 per cent. Rates of HIV have plummeted. Most impressive is the recidivism rate (percentage of those who re-offend). In the United States. the recidivism rate is around 75 per cent within five years (according to the National Institute of Justice). Norway, which is now following the Portugal model, has a recidivism rate of just 20 per cent in that same time span.
All of these countries are enjoying reduced costs to taxpayers because of less crime, reduced long- term healthcare needs, and decreased expenditures for police and judicial prosecution.
Studies show these countries have turned the financial corner in the war on drugs. Costs to their societies are dropping substantially due to the new drug programs they have implemented.
The answer to our drug problem does exist, but it will take strong political will, good judgment and an open-minded population willing to take a new approach before we can expect a positive return on our tax dollars, and resolve our society’s drug problem.
