Responding to drug harms: Can the UK learn from Portugal?

Events

Responding to drug harms: Can the UK learn from Portugal?

24 February 2016

Background

In 2001 Portugal implemented a new national strategy on drug harms. The approach was bold: decriminalising the possession of small quantities of drugs for personal use and doubling expenditure on health-led responses to drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction.

We are delighted to have João Castel-Branco Goulão, head of the General-Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies in Portugal and one of the architects of the 2001 Drug Strategy, present the learning from Portugal’s health-led approach to reducing drug harms.

Attendees will also hear reflections on the implications of this approach for the UK context, with presentations from policy makers and practitioners who have signalled interest in rethinking the UK’s current reliance on criminalisation in response to drug harms.

About this event

This is the final event in the European Observatory on Alternatives to Custody project, a European Union funded project for which the Centre is the UK partner. We are grateful to the Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London for co-sponsoring this event.

Speakers

João Castel-Branco Goulão, head of the General-Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies, Portugal

Mike Barton, Chief Constable for Durham Constabulary

Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director, Release

Kenny MacAskill MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh East until May 2016. Between 2007 and 2014 Kenny was the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

Baroness Meacher, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform

Venue, time and date

When: May 16th, 2016 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Location: Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, Kings College London Strand, London WC2R 2LS United Kingdom

Contact: Phone: 020 7840 6110 Email: info@crimeandjustice.org.uk

Please, click here to register.

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