For years, some countries including Portugal have adopted a “harm reduction” approach to drug addiction, providing services like needle exchanges, supervised places for drug use, and access to treatment. How well does this “harm reduction” approach work? Could or should the United States follow the example of countries like Portugal?
Eric Altieri, Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), says, “One of the more positive trends we've seen in the 21st century is certainly in Europe. And lvnow to a broader degree back home in the United States, we're seeing that we're taking a public health approach to substance use, instead of a criminal approach.”
Beau Kilmer, Director and Senior Policy Researcher at the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, says, “There have been…at least 10 randomized control trials, which have compared kind of prescription heroin to typical oral methadone. And the findings are quite, quite positive for for the heroin assisted treatment, you know, for a lot of people, it just a kind of help stabilize their lives[…] I definitely think it's time to do some clinical trials, because to me, it's actually it's not entirely clear whether or not we would see the same effects in the United States that we've seen in other countries.”
One crucial policy issue. Two perspectives. What do you think?
