How Other Countries Deal with Addiction and Treatment
- The Portuguese Experiment. According to Gil Kerlikowske, the former Director of the National Drug Control Policy, “85...
- Portugal’s Heroin Problem. The problem arose from the end of the dictatorship of the Second Republic, an authoritarian...
- Changing the Conversation. If addiction is a disease, argues Dr. Goulão,...
Full Answer
Are other countries better prepared to handle drug addiction than we are?
Oct 05, 2016 · How Other Countries Deal with Addiction and Treatment The Portuguese Experiment. According to Gil Kerlikowske, the former Director of the National Drug Control Policy, “85... Portugal’s Heroin Problem. The problem arose from the end of the dictatorship of the Second Republic, an authoritarian... ...
What can countries do to tackle the global drug problem?
May 29, 2019 · One increasingly common one is drug addiction. In the United States, over 2.2 million people who have been incarcerated for drugs, far more than any other country in the world. We have more than Russia (a mere 676,000), and India (only 385,000), which are both nominal figures in comparison to their respective populations.
Which countries have the most drug addictions?
Mar 10, 2019 · Understanding How Other Countries Treat Addiction United Kingdom’s Approach to Addiction. Often under extreme scrutiny, the British System believes in what they call... Portugal’s Approach to Addiction. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drugs. As the first country to do this, Portugal... China’s ...
What are the European countries doing about heroin addiction?
Jun 30, 2019 · Withdrawal from alcohol can be fatal and should be managed under the care of a healthcare provider. In Europe, alcohol recovery treatment often involves a combination of talk therapy and medication. Patients report varying degrees of success. Nalmefene, for example, was introduced in several European countries in 2013, including Norway and Poland.
What country has the most effective drug policy?
Drug law reformers often point to the Netherlands as a model example as the best to handle drug usage and addiction. Taken together, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Germany all focus on the ability of drug addicts to seek treatment, while at the same time enforcing laws to prevent drug trafficking.
What is the most common form of treatment for addictions?
According to American Addiction Centers, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a valuable treatment tool because it can be used for many different types of addiction including, but not limited to, food addiction, alcohol addiction, and prescription drug addiction.Dec 12, 2020
How does the US deal with drug abuse?
In the United States, more than 14,500 specialized drug treatment facilities provide counseling, behavioral therapy, medication, case management, and other types of services to persons with substance use disorders.Jan 17, 2018
What techniques are used to treat addiction?
Some of the most common forms of modern addiction treatment include behavioral therapies delivered as individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.Feb 21, 2022
Can you prevent addiction?
The risk of addiction can be decreased. While there is no single way to prevent addiction, education, strengthened support systems, and greater awareness of the factors that affect substance misuse can mitgate the risks.
How can we prevent drug abuse?
Here are the top five ways to prevent substance abuse:Understand how substance abuse develops. ... Avoid Temptation and Peer Pressure. ... Seek help for mental illness. ... Examine the risk factors. ... Keep a well-balanced life.More items...•Jul 7, 2021
How can we prevent drug abuse among the youth?
Consider other strategies to prevent teen drug abuse:Know your teen's activities. Pay attention to your teen's whereabouts. ... Establish rules and consequences. ... Know your teen's friends. ... Keep track of prescription drugs. ... Provide support. ... Set a good example.
What roles can you play personally to control addiction in the country?
Answer: making parents aware about addiction. motivating children and friends to engage in creative works. giving suggestion to avoid addiction to the addicts. praising those who have left addiction.Nov 7, 2020
Is psychotherapy effective for addiction?
Counseling is a mainstay of substance use disorder treatment for many people. Cognitive behavioral therapy, family counseling, and other types of therapy can help you stay clean. Psychotherapy can also treat other mental health conditions that often play a role in substance abuse.Dec 3, 2021
What is a treatment plan for substance abuse?
A substance abuse treatment plan is an individualized, written document that details a client's goals and objectives, the steps need to achieve those, and a timeline for treatment. These plans are mutually agreed upon with the client and the clinician.
How many people are incarcerated for drugs in the US?
Different countries have a variety of problems to solve. One increasingly common one is drug addiction. In the United States, over 2.2 million people who have been incarcerated for drugs, far more than any other country in the world. We have more than Russia (a mere 676,000), and India (only 385,000), which are both nominal figures in comparison ...
When did the Czech Republic start a Methadone Treatment Center?
In 1997, the Czech Republic introduced Methadone Maintenance Treatment centers to combat opioid use. By 2008, 14 MMT centers were seeing over a thousand patients a year. Since 2012, the government has upped their expenditure on drug treatment. Now, the numbers of heavy drug users and overdose deaths have dropped.
What is the Ecuadorian drug law?
Ecuadorian Drug Law Reform. Ecuador’s proximity to cocaine producing countries had , in the past, made the government crack down hard on any drug possession. In 2008, the Ecuadorian government started giving amnesty to people who had transported drugs as mules. This is their attempt to humanize the drug laws.
Why is Croatia important to the police?
Since Croatia is mostly a transit country for illicit drugs, the main focus of law enforcement is reducing drug quantities entering the country. On a local level, policing music festivals and the like is equally important to reduce the supply and the related crimes.
What is the government trying to do?
The government is trying to reduce the demand and the supply of drugs while maintaining the overall health of their citizens. This includes harm reduction and treatment (for users) and law enforcement (for dealers), as well as drug related research.
Is the US the cornerstone of drug use?
The United States is, unfortunately, the cornerstone for drug use. However, our foreign countries seem to have an upper hand in how they treat addiction, by publicly providing the means for individuals and their families to better handle it.
Is there a lot of fear and misunderstanding when it comes to substance use disorders?
There is a lot of fear and misunderstanding when it comes to substance use disorders. When we take a look at how the United States views drug use and those who engage in the production and distribution of these illegal substances, comparatively speaking, Americans often take a cold, hard line of judgment.
When did Portugal decriminalize drugs?
In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drugs. As the first country to do this, Portugal has seen a remarkable recovery with dramatic drops in drug use, HIV, overdose related deaths and drug-related crimes. Rather than being arrested, individuals caught doing drugs can be given a warning, small fine or told to seek treatment from a doctor or social worker. This approach is widely being championed in other parts of the world.
What is Heroin Maintenance?
This complex system aims to reduce the HIV epidemic and maintain a close watch on drug takers within the country. While it’s unclear as to whether this system is better than other approaches around the globe, it is presenting a less severe HIV epidemic than other areas of the world.
Is addiction a disease?
As you start to do research, you may find there are differing opinions on whether or not addiction is simply a disease. There are some medical professionals that view addiction as a spectrum, with varying degrees of severity. Depending which approach to addiction you believe and your loved one believes, it could change the type of rehabilitation options you explore together.
Is drug addiction a worldwide problem?
Drug and alcohol addiction is a worldwide problem, and if you are truly trying to find your loved one the best possible options , it makes sense to explore what other approaches to addiction are available. The ways governments react to addicts around the globe can offer new ideas and insightful questions about substance abuse and fighting back.
Does insurance cover addiction?
Many Americans are unaware of the fact, but there are more addicts in the country than the number living with all forms of cancer combined. Yet only about 10% of those with a substance addiction seek treatment. In many cases, insurance won’t cover addiction services, and the high costs of treatment — especially the in-patient variety — are prohibitive.
Is digital addiction good?
There’s good news for addicts in our digitally connected world, however. A variety of modern technologies are transforming patient care, including telemedicine and wearable monitoring devices. Within the field of addiction treatment, digital devices are especially helpful in diagnosing addiction and determining if a treatment program is working.
What countries have the most severe drug laws?
The most severe is the death penalty (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam) but many enforce long prison sentences and heavy fines.
When did Portugal decriminalize drugs?
Portugal famously decriminalised the possession of illegal drugs in 2001, instead referring people caught with drugs to a ‘dissuasion commission’ where they might be opted into treatment or given education. Along with the law change Portugal also rolled out a large public awareness campaign, started a public debate about addiction and expanded their drug services.
How long is the maximum sentence for trafficking in the UAE?
United Arab Emirates. Even possessing a tiny amount of illegal drugs can result in a 4-year prison sentence in the UAE and they consider drugs in the bloodstream as possession. The maximum penalty for trafficking is death.
Is a liberal drug policy easy?
Enacting a more liberal drugs policy is not easy. Many countries must uphold international conventions like those of the UN. This means creating a liberal policy might involve some careful negotiating – for instance, ‘decriminalising’ drug possession so it remains illegal – but it is an administrative offence as opposed to a criminal one. Or it might involve operating a policy of ‘tolerance’ where law enforcement only prosecutes people under certain circumstances. The following countries have set about creating more liberal policies.
Is Portugal's drug policy positive?
Although assessing the success of any drug policy is immensely difficult, it’s generally assumed Portugal’s policy has been positive: drug use has remained stable and possibly decreased in young people, there’s been a fall in HIV amongst injecting drug users and a decline in drug-related deaths.
Is drug policy a global burden?
The nature of drug policy is often closely tied to cultural perceptions of addiction and can be influenced by a range of people, from governments to professional bodies to private companies. This means evaluating or changing drugs policy can be daunting, but as the World Health Organisation (WHO) states: addiction is a global burden.
Best practices: How other countries dealt with drug problems
Portugal and Switzerland are two countries with a high rate of illegal drugs use in the 1980s and the 1990s. How did they manage to turn things around?
Jodesz Gavilan
Jodesz Gavilan is a writer and researcher for Rappler and its investigative arm, Newsbreak. She covers human rights and also hosts the weekly podcast Newsbreak: Beyond the Stories. She joined Rappler in 2014 after obtaining her journalism degree from the University of the Philippines.
How much does drug abuse cost?
At an annual cost of over $161 billion dollars, drug abuse and addiction in the US is more expensive than the American diabetes epidemic, and nearly as expensive as the yearly cost of cancer-related expenses. Other public health threats in this regard include the fact that more than 1/3 of all HIV cases and most cases of Hepatitis C were caused by intravenous drug use and needle sharing. Drugs in the US are responsible for as many as 500,000 deaths per year – a large number of which are caused by the up to 22% of drivers involved in crashes while under the influence of drugs. Finally, 50% of all arrests for major crimes in the US occurred while the perpetrator was under the influence of drugs, and correspondingly 60% of American federal prison inmates are incarcerated for drug related offenses. (1)
Is drug use a problem?
Drug use and addiction is a worldwide problem, but the issues and public health concerns related to substance abuse in developed nations are different than those in underdeveloped nations. And while modern countries have more drug treatment and alcohol rehab options available, drugs are generally easily available despite harsh law enforcement measures. Stress caused by the fast paced life of most career-minded families contributes to the propensity for people to self-medicate with drugs and thereby become addicted. Overall drug use and addiction is one of the most pressing problems facing developed countries today.
Which country has the strictest drug laws?
While Portugal has lightened the laws on drug use, other countries have increased them. In Singapore, for example, drug laws are known to be some of the strictest around the world. Possession of Marijuana carries a hefty fine of up to $20 thousand dollars and jail-time from 1 to 10 years.
How many people are in prison for drug use?
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of September 2019, 45.3% of prisoners in the United States were incarcerated for drug-related charges.
How much is a Heroin penalty?
For example, Heroin penalties are as follows: 1 to 99g – $1 to $5 million dollars and a maximum of 20 years in prison. 100 to 999g – $5 to $25 million dollars and 5 to 40 years in prison. 1kg and up – $10 to $50 million dollars and 10 years to life in prison.
How long does it take for a drug addict to relapse?
Almost 60% of those who recover from addiction will relapse within one year. This is why it’s so critical that more support be given to recovery efforts around the country.
Which country has the highest cocaine use?
The country with the highest use of cocaine, for example, is Scotland.
Do people stop using drugs once they are in prison?
For many individuals, drug use doesn’t stop once incarcerated. In fact, the same report from above states, “Based on a total of 149 studies in 62 countries, an estimated one in three people held in prisons worldwide report that they have used drugs at least once while incarcerated”.
Is there a cure for drug addiction?
There’s no cure for drug addiction. It’s an ongoing process, which involves patience, positivity, and plenty of support. The healing experience is a long and rocky one, but with the help of a recovery coach, substance abusers aren’t alone. They have someone to lean on and reach out to every step of the way.
What did the Swiss and French do to help drug users?
Both the Swiss and the French accomplished this by supporting drug users in different ways. Switzerland led Europe with the first drug consumption rooms and heroin assisted treatment facilities. The Swiss approach is all about removing barriers and getting the majority of drug users into treatment. This resulted in trickled down benefits ...
What is the French approach to drug abuse?
The French approach is about seeing drug users as people first and supporting the whole person. There are more than 300 harm reduction centers, that include needle exchanges, places to shower, do laundry, meet with social workers, psychiatrists and medical doctors.
How did France tackle addiction?
To tackle addiction, the French look beyond drugs to care for the person. France found that in order to reach people who use drugs, they first need to have a place where they’re comfortable enough to relax. Thibaut (right) is a social worker who heads of the rural mobile outreach program from Bordeaux.
Did Switzerland stop drug use?
Switzerland couldn’t stop drug users. So it started supporting them. Switzerland had out of control, open drug scenes in the 1980s. People were dying in the streets, so the Swiss took drastic measures to reduce the deaths and get people into treatment. Their approach is effective and unorthodox.
