Decriminalizing substance use works in Portugal — and can in Oregon, says neuroscience and health journalist

Oregon’s Measure 110 — which decriminalized drug possession and directed more money into substance use disorder treatment   — was modeled after Portugal's drug policy approach. New York Times opinion writer and neuroscience journalist Maia Szalavitz has studied what’s happened over the last 25 years since the country began decriminalization. She’s written many articles and books on the subject of addiction, most recently “Undoing Drugs: How Harm Reduction is Changing the Future of Drugs and Addiction.”  She joins to tell us how and why decriminalization worked in Portugal and the lessons she believes it holds for Oregon — and the U.S. as a whole.

OPB's daily conversation covering news, politics, culture and the arts. Hosted By Dave Miller.