How Portugal eased its opioid epidemic, while U.S. drug deaths skyrocketed
Portugal's leaders pivoted away from the U.S. drug war model, which prioritized narcotics seizures, arrests and lengthy prison sentences for drug offenders.
Instead, it focused scarce public dollars on health care, drug treatment, job training and housing. The system, integrated into the country's taxpayer-funded national health care system, is free and easy to navigate.
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/24/1230188789/portugal-drug-overdose-opioid-treatment
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