Could decriminalization of all drugs actually lower overdoses and violent crime rates?

As with any radical plan or change in policy, there will be people resistant to the change. Critics of Portugal’s plan say that decriminalization will increase the likelihood of use or make the government look soft on drugs and crime, but Ian Culbert of the Canadian Public Health Association says there is no evidence to support those claims.

“In fact, the only risk is that we’re going to start treating people like human beings and not like criminals and giving them the proper supports to reintegrate them into society,” Culbert told Your Morning, “And who knows, we might even save tax dollars because it’s cheaper to support people and give them treatment to fight their addiction than it is to incarcerate them.”