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MishNchipz t1_j6ncxf5 wrote

Worked in Portugal

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dizzariffic t1_j6o8348 wrote

Portugal also has mandatory treatment, however. Canada will not. There's little change in "help" for those that will use this system, Portugal has tons. So, im skeptical, but I suppose we'll see!

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godisanelectricolive t1_j6oip6v wrote

Their "dissuasion commissions" made up of lawyers and social workers do not have the power to mandate compulsory treatment. They either recommend treatment or community service for addicts and if they refuse the commission can issue a sanction such a fine or taking away personal possessions.

Authorities can't forcibly drag addicts into treatment but once they voluntarily consent to treatment they have conditions for release, you can't just check yourself out any time if you have a history of overdosing. Apparently 85% of their addicts voluntarily agree to treatment when asked to by a dissuasion commission.

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joxeloj t1_j6pcadn wrote

Compulsory treatment is objectively ineffective and only serves to further a moral crusade against drug use. The vast majority of the social, economic, and health consequences of which arise from its stigmatization and a lack of regulation.

Even voluntary, motivated treatment has much poorer effectiveness than the vast majority of people seem to believe. The most effective treatment for opioid addiction, the global gold standard, is literally giving the individual stable daily doses of opioids to take in place of street opioids. The most effective opioid replacement therapies in terms of quality of life, socioeconomic functioning, and health outcome/preventing deaths are literally the more recreational opiates; buprenorphine < methadone < oral morphine < injectable hydromorphone.

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[deleted] t1_j6nrkjs wrote

[removed]

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MXC_Vic_Romano t1_j6p9kgm wrote

Portugal also improved access to treatment as part of decriminalization which BC isn't doing for this three year trial. Drugs have practically been decriminalized in the DTES for years already, this is just making it official province wide. Without improving access to treatment it's rather difficult to imagine this will have a positive impact.

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lilrabbitfoofoo t1_j6nyw0o wrote

Legalize/decriminalize and regulate quality and age access (like everyone already does with alchohol, tobacco, and now marijuana).

Adults have the right to do whatever they want to their own bodies, just not to all the rest of us, of course. It is, after all, the very meaning of being an adult, right?

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Slimfictiv t1_j6o2rov wrote

But most important educate them. Give a bottle of whiskey to a redneck...

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