Health diversion approach would require a massive expansion of service places
Sir, – I write in relation to Ryan McHale’s letter about the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use recommendation on decriminalisation , 8 per cent of 2,240 drug treatment cases in 2022 – the last year for which data is available – were justice related referrals as compared to 3 per cent for other drugs.
The health diversion approach therefore would require a massive expansion of service places. While the international literature on drug treatment, especially harm reduction, is robust and generally adhered to by Irish-based services, there is no substantial high-quality evidence to support the use of involuntary treatment, such as health diversion, for drug problems, in general, let alone for cannabis.
This is already the case with court-mandated treatment for persons with driving under the influence offences in some US states, with little evidence of effectiveness.
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