Key conflicts and the possibility of medical applications
The elimination of criminal penalties for drug use and possession, as well as the possession of equipment used to inject narcotics into the human body (e.g. syringes) and low-level drug transactions, are all examples of drug decriminalisation.
Portugal took a significant step forward in 2001 by decriminalising the use of all drugs. Today, some European countries also took a more liberal stance. For instance, the Netherlands are known for their tolerance towards small quantity drugs and famous coffee shops where people can buy marijuana under certain conditions. Norway has lately been working on decriminalising some drugs.
The Norwegian Health Minister stated “It’s high time we replace punishment with help.”
However many people argue that decriminalisation would cause an increase in the number of drug abusers, crime, adverse physical conditions of users and harm to societal values and order. Drug policies and debates have shown that the issue has many aspects to be considered, such as recreational usage, medical applications or mental and physical harm caused by overdoses.
A kit outreach workers give out to addicts in Portugal: “If they do not want to stop using, it is better if they do it safely”, Gonçalo Fonseca (TIME)
It is important to remember that decriminalisation does not change the supply of drugs: all illegal drugs still have to be obtained through the black market. This means that drugs will remain unknown and purity resistant. Moreover, it cannot be the drug that has been sold as (for example, a new psychoactive substance that is sold as MDMA or LSD).
Additional health risks of drug consumption may include the risk of addiction, the potential of negative impact on mental health, the risk of undergoing a negative reaction, the risk of overdose, including fatal overdose, as well as the risk of a virus transmitted through blood for people who inject drugs.
Consumption prevention initiatives, minimise the damage associated with drug use, and provide support to persons depending on, are necessary to expand or implement decriminalisation together.
An additional problem is a concern that deviation can lead to greater use of drugs. However, this concern was not supported by Australian and abroad tests. Portugal, which decriminalised all drugs in 2001, has no rates of use of higher drugs than neighbouring countries. A study in 2017 suggested that drug use rates were lower than the European average.
Moreover, let’s keep in mind that the use of any drug always carries some risk.
Decriminalising does not "make drugs better" in any way, they will be as harmful as they have always been, but it does help users receive better treatment and gives them an environment where they can use safely, instead of punishing them for it.
Iva Ivanišević
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