THE proposed change in government policy to decriminalise personal use and possession of crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) and other illicit drugs is welcome news.
However, under the plan, production, trafficking and supply of illicit drugs, including ice and other narcotics, would continue to be criminalised.
The model draws on the approach taken by Portugal, where personal drug use was decriminalised in 2001. It has been stated that “no other justice programme has been proven to be effective in reducing recidivism, and all at a lower cost than incarceration”.
It is based on the premise that criminalising personal drug use “may result in greater harm to the individual, and to society more broadly” than the harm caused by the use of drugs.
With almost 20 years of history, Portugal decriminalised personal drug use and channelled its savings into drug treatment and social programmes. The result is awesome: drug-related deaths and crime dropped dramatically and overall drug use also fell.
Decriminalisation of personal acquisition, possession and use of illicit drugs would pave the way towards the implementation of a comprehensive public health approach.
Drug users should be required to comply with a range of orders to engage in appropriate treatment and rehabilitation at approved centres manned by suitably qualified doctors. Failure to comply should result in non-criminal sanctions.
This programme is cost-effective for the government in that the cost of maintaining the system could be offset by savings from other departments, like the police and courts.
The law enforcement and justice arms can focus on serious drug trafficking and community safety offences, such as driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
DR A. SOORIAN
Seremban, Negri Sembilan