Norway to decriminalize all drugs, focus on treating addiction

In 2001, Portugal took a radical approach to combating its epidemic of drug abuse by decriminalizing all drugs, opting to treat addiction not as a criminal problem but as a health issue. The results are more than clear: The country now has one of the lowest drug overdose and death rates in the world, soundly obliterating the prohibitionist argument that only ever-tougher laws can defeat the scourge of drug abuse. (Incidentally, countries where this mindset prevails never seem to reduce their drug use and overdose rates.)

Other countries are taking notice, though. Norway is set to become the first Scandinavian nation to remove all criminal penalties for drug use and focus on helping addicts rather than punishing them.

The majority of the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, backed the historic shift which was supported by the Conservatives (Hoyre), Liberals (Venstre), the Labor Party (Ap) and the Socialist Left (SV).

They directed the national government to reform its policies on drugs.

Sveinung Stensland, deputy chairman of the Storting Health Committee, told Norwegian publication VG: “It is important to emphasise that we do not legalise cannabis and other drugs, but we decriminalise.[” …]

Nicolas Wilkinson, the SV party’s health spokesman, told VG that parliament’s goal was to “stop punishing people who struggle, but instead give them help and treatment”. He added the aim is to transfer responsibility for drug policy from the justice system to the health system.

This isn’t happening on a whim. Norway has one of the highest drug overdose rates in Europe, with 2015 statistics placing the country’s drug-related deaths at 69.6 per million, third to Sweden (69.7) and Estonia (a whopping 126.8). (Meanwhile, Portugal is sitting pretty with only 3.) Norwegians caught in the grip of addiction can feel thankful their government has chosen to treat their illness and rehabilitate them rather than throw them behind bars and destroy their future prospects with a criminal record, as some countries are doing.

It sure seems like “liberal” policies always bring out the best in a nation.

(via @ggreenwald)

Edit (01/16/18 @ 7:04 PM ET): Added the missing article link and fixed the bottom attribution link.