I'm four years clean from heroin after six years of addiction (from 16 years old) this August, and he's completely right. I also volunteer, because I feel that giving back and helping those to follow a better path keeps me grounded and sober. Addiction is probably the most selfish thing in the world, at least in terms of how you begin to think and act, so it makes some karmic sense that selfless acts can help you beat it, in my mind at least. Great article!
Fun fact: Neither Portugal nor the Netherlands "legalized drugs." Portugal decriminalized personal use. The Netherlands never decriminalized any drugs, not even marijuana. Rather, it adopted an official policy of non-prosecution under certain conditions. In fact, marijuana may be more "legalized" in many U.S. states than it is in the Netherlands. E.g. the legal possession limits are higher in states like Colorado, and growing is less restricted.
And of course, in both countries, anything beyond small-scale growing and sale of marijuana (much less the production and sale of what they call "hard drugs") remains illegal and subject to active prosecution.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought we differ in severity. Instead of 3 strikes laws and extended jail terms, doesn't Portugal for treatment? (I'm happy to admit I may be wrong here)
We do. But Portugal also has far less severe sentences for murder: maximum 25 years.[1] But it would be inaccurate to say that Portugal has "legalized" murder.
Portugal has decriminalized possession, and the Netherlands has a policy of non-prosecution for possession. But even in the U.S. mere possession is rarely punished with prison time (much less extended sentences and 3-strikes penalties): http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/ame.... And when it comes to things other than possession, the Netherlands does prosecute. The Netherlands conducts about 5,000 marijuana raids every year: http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/ame....
I'm not being merely pedantic. In my opinion, pointing out that Portugal and the Netherlands "legalized drugs" isn't just technically inaccurate, it's a red herring. The real problem is our law enforcement's over-the-top militarism and brutal penalties across-the-board. Law enforcement in the Netherlands doesn't choke people to death for selling untaxed cigarettes--that doesn't mean the problem in the U.S. is that selling untaxed cigarettes is illegal. The real story isn't that Portugal has decriminalized drug possession and why can't we be like that.[1] It's that Portugal rarely even enforces prison sentences under 5 years! Why can't we be like that?
Good points. I guess I also looked at it as "penalize addiction" versus "treat addiction". Again, I'm not 100% up on the facts, so thank you for sharing. The issue is broader than just drugs - it's also warped incentives that encourage "tough on crime" initiatives to go haywire.
