By Aiden Wilson
The law of supply and demand has permeated business since its inception, and one that time and time again has proven to be impossible to undermine despite people’s best attempts. Fact of the matter is, if people want it, they’ll get it, and drugs are no exception. The decriminalization of illegal substances gives the chance for people unfortunate enough to fall victim to demand the chance to rebound from their mistakes; rather than ending their lives by throwing them behind bars. Czechia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland are all places where the decriminalization of drugs came along with harm reduction programs to help people in need. As a result, diagnoses among people who inject drugs in those countries are low. These examples show that without ways of getting help that won’t put them in jail, people are in danger of going on until it’s fatal.
