Why it matters:
A former acting White House drug czar is highlighting the success of Portugal’s drug policy and advocating for the U.S. to adopt a similar approach. This is notable considering the current stance of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) under Biden and the ongoing debate surrounding drug decriminalization in the U.S.
What they are saying:
Regina LaBelle, who previously worked in the ONDCP, praises Portugal’s public health-based drug policy that decriminalized personal drug possession while maintaining penalties for drug trafficking. She cites positive outcomes such as low drug overdose death rates as evidence of the success of the approach. LaBelle emphasizes the need for the U.S. to treat addiction as a health issue and calls for substantial and consistent funding in public health services, treatment, and harm reduction. She also stresses the importance of robust data collection and reporting to inform drug policy decisions.
The big picture:
Portugal’s drug decriminalization model has been hailed as a success by reform advocates, but a recent article challenged this view. LaBelle critiques the article, stating that consistent funding is necessary for sustained, long-term results. She outlines three key lessons from Portugal’s approach: prioritizing addiction as a public health issue, investing in public health services and harm reduction, and making robust financial investments in data collection.
What to watch:
It remains to be seen whether the Biden administration, represented by the current ONDCP director Rahul Gupta, will embrace broad drug decriminalization. The administration has shown support for harm reduction efforts and a review of safe drug consumption facilities. Other voices, such as Nora Volkow from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and various medical associations, have also called for a rethinking of drug policy and decriminalization.
My take:
I agree with LaBelle that the U.S. can learn from Portugal’s drug policy and its focus on treating addiction as a health issue. The evidence of positive outcomes from Portugal’s approach suggests that similar harm reduction strategies may benefit the U.S. However, it remains to be seen whether the current administration will take bold steps towards drug decriminalization and the allocation of consistent funding for public health services.
