A Tale of Two Countries: Portugal and the Philippines
The “War on Drugs” has had a tremendous impact on American society and while many states have legalized marijuana, the war as a whole appears to be far from ending. While some Americans might believe that most countries are following the lead of the United States when it comes to how drugs are treated, they would be surprised to see that some countries have taken completely different approaches to the issue altogether. From looking at these different approaches we can see what the United States can learn from other countries to better solve this seemingly never-ending issue.
The nation of the Philippines has decided to fight its own “War on Drugs” with methods more extreme than even the United States has used. While the Philippines has been fighting the “War on Drugs” for several years, the current president, Rodrigo Duterte, has escalated the war significantly to new levels. According to Amnesty International UK, “In an election campaign speech broadcasted on national television on 5 June, Duterte encouraged citizens to kill suspected drug dealers or users as a ‘duty’, and offered huge bounties to people who turn in drug dealers — ‘dead or alive’.” (Amnesty). This attitude towards drugs would shock even the most ardent supporters of the “War on Drugs” in the United States because even drug users are seen as fair game to be killed. The Filipino government believes that this extreme attitude toward drugs would scare people into giving up their drugs but time will tell if this policy has any effectiveness.
The nation of Portugal has decided to take a radically different approach from nations like the United States and the Philippines. The Portugese government decided to look at addiction to drugs as a medical issue instead of a criminal issue. According to Time Magazine, “But anyone caught with less than a 10-day supply of any drug-including marijuana and heroin-is typically sent to a local commission, consisting of a doctor, lawyer and social worker, where they learn about treatment and available medical services.” (Bajekal). This humane approach has had a great effect on the populace. Time Magazine also wrote, “Between 1998 and 2011, the number of people in drug treatment increased by over 60%; nearly three-quarters of them received opioid-substitution therapy.” (Bajekal). From looking at the approaches that these two countries have chosen to take, Americans and others can begin to look at the way their nations have handled the issue of drugs and work towards creating more effective and humane solutions.
“Over 7,000 People Killed in Six Months in Philippines ‘War on Drugs’.” Amnesty International UK, www.amnesty.org.uk/philippines-president-duterte-war-on-drugs-thousands-killed.
Bajekal, Naina. “Want to Win the War on Drugs? Portugal Might Have the Answer.” Time, Time, 1 Aug. 2018, time.com/longform/portugal-drug-use-decriminalization/.
