methadone vans

The US is on a shrinking list of countries that haven't yet recognized how counterproductive the war on drugs is. As we have continued to kill and arrest drug users, making the problem worse, other countries have seen tremendous results in decriminalization, and in some even legalization and regulation of drugs. In this episode I'll  walk through various drug laws and how they work across the world, and I'll explain why legalization with regulation is the best way to address the current drug overdose crisis. 

Follow the link for statistics regarding UK heroin addiction in the 1960s versus US heroin addiction.

To read about Dr. Marks's work prescribing heroin to addicted people in the 1980s, check out Maia Szalavitz's book, Undoing Drugs.

For more about Tim Rhode's "Structural Risk Environment," see "Risk Environments and Drug Harms."

To read more about Portugal's drug policy, check out the linked article from The Guardian.

To read more about harm reduction and drug policies across the world, check out the linked article in Filter.

Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay

Portugal decriminalized all drugs more than 20 years ago, in 2001. In this episode, I share my thoughts on Portugal's drug policy and I explain how it works: the good, the bad, and the not-yet-finished. Portugal's decriminalization efforts have lowered overall drug use rates by almost 75% and greatly reduced the most dangerous types of drug use through education and (barebones) compassion.

I also discuss Methadone Vans, a new trend in the US which Portugal began using long ago to curb heroin addiction and the crimes associated with it.

This episode is dedicated to the late, great David Poses. Your work was invaluable; we won't stop until it's done. Check out David's incredible memoir, The Weight of Air,  or listen to us chat on this episode of Dr Junkie from 2021.