Advocates applaud the Biden administration’s decision to unwind its prohibition on cannabis for addressing what they claim is an asymmetrical drug enforcement strategy that has disproportionately affected some communities and caused mass incarceration. This commendation, however, seems contradictory because it overlooks the potential negative effects a walk might have on socio-economically underprivileged and underprivileged neighborhoods already ravaged by the drug epidemic.
Experimental evidence from states that have adopted harm reduction methods, such as Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia, reveals combined benefits.
For example, the Netherlands, known for its governed sale of cannabis through therefore- called” coffeeshops”, continues to face problems of drug hospitality and related social ills where children as young as 14 years old are recruited as” cocaine lovers”. The Dutch government warned the Dutch of the danger of becoming a “narco-state” in an article published in the Guardian in January 2024.
In Sweden, the number of deadly shootings has more than doubled since 2013, reaching 391 in 2022, mainly due to group- related medicine and arms conflicts. In December, a lawyer representing the victims of the teen shootings claimed that” kids are carrying the Swedish drug businesses on their arms rather than their own bags.”
Also, Canada and Australia, despite their complete harm reduction strategies, repeatedly face drug- related crime and health issues. In 2023, British Columbia decriminalised medication to reduce opioid levels, but only to discover it wave by 5 per share, the BBC reported. Officials in BC are currently considering revising the prohibition against the possession of painful medicines in public spaces.
Thailand, which is much closer to home, plans to decriminalize marijuana for usage only two years after it first became the first country in Southeast Asia to do so.
These instances demonstrate the complexity and potential negative effects of calm drug laws, especially for those who are at risk.
Singapore stays unwaveringly committed to preventing the intergenerational cycle of violence, arrest, confinement, and re-incarceration for this reason.
Singapore’s method, guided by knowledge and practical considerations, prioritises injury prevention over harm reduction and serves as a solid framework for tackling this widespread issue.
Tan Chong Huat, the president of the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA ), and Narayanan Ganapathy, a member of NCADA, are both NCADA members.