How Europe's heroin capital solved its overdose crisis


After Portugal decriminalized personal possession and use of all drugs and replaced law enforcement responses with healthcare and harm-reduction practices, the country's heroin abuse rates and overdose deaths shrank significantly. A network of 40 publicly funded drug treatment centers, outreach teams making daily contact with people addicted to heroin, and an aggressive methadone delivery system are key components of the healthcare approach. Canada stands in contrast, with a severe fentanyl problem eased only some by local, spotty attempts at harm reduction.

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