Could Other Nations’ Pasts Be Our Future? A New Era of Drug Policy in Ireland
Michael McQuillan
Within Ireland, drug consumption remains a major issue especially in the youth with 20.8% of 15–24-year-olds claiming to have consumed an ‘illicit substance within their lifetime’. (1) Worse so is the fact that hard drugs (especially opiate addiction) is on the rise, with an increase from 12,000 to 17,000 people reported partaking in problematic opioid use from 2020-22 alone.
This widespread use of drugs has resulted in huge social costs for Irish society as streets have become more unsafe, crime has risen and homeless deaths have increased (2)
So, with drug use on the rise and crime following suit the amount of people receiving criminal charges has resulted in overflowing prisons. (3) This caused the previous Minister of Justice, Helen McEntee to approve for more powers to be given to the Drugs Treatment Court to reduce strain on the criminal justice system.
This, in and of itself, is a good thing; it allows people with drug problems to not only avoid lengthy prison sentences for minor crimes but also seek help without fear of punishment. But it must go further.
In order to reduce the strain drugs present on Irish society the southern government should model itself after Portugal in decriminalising drugs. Portugal’s decriminilisation in 2001 had immediate effects. Consumption by 15-24-year-olds decreased by 2005, and the amount of people sent to jail for drug-related offences dropped from 14,000 to 6,000 per year since the law came into effect. (4)
The results of Portugal’s experiment should alone be enough to inspire a change in policy, but it is not alone.
Many other nations have pursued similar policies, the Netherlands being being a strong example. Within the Netherlands, the relaxed drug policy has resulted in improved healthcare facilities for addicts and reduced crime (just like in Portugal). Additionally, it has allowed for the youth to safely experiment with ‘soft’ drugs like cannabis, reducing harm from coming their way from casual use. (5) These two examples are the most obvious in favour of relaxed drug policies, but they are not the only ones to introduce some form of decriminalisation. Others include but are not limited to: Canada, Czechia, Germany and Croatia.
Another country stands as an example of what not to do when it comes to decriminilsation. That country is the United States.
In Oregon, drug possession was decriminalised in 2020. 2021 then saw the highest number of drug deaths in the city’s history. This is in stark contrast to the aforementioned European examples, so what went wrong?
The decriminalisation of drug possession in Oregon via measure 110 came roughly at the same time as the beginning of the fentanyl epidemic in the USA, this introduction of a more dangerous and addictive opioid to the streets was of course harmful, but as seen previously was not something that decriminalisation couldn’t have helped mitigate. This mitigation of course did not happen, and Oregon (especially Portland) became a hub for anti-social behaviour and rampant drug related crime. This of course has since been used as a shining example of how decriminalisation doesn’t work by those who oppose it.
What these elements fail to mention is the total lack of funding and healthcare support the project received. By the time of decriminalisation, Oregon ranked last in its capacity to treat drug addiction when compared to all other states. It did not receive the funds for adequate services until 18 months after the policy was introduced. Oregon has since reversed its decriminalisation laws and of course remains a hotspot for drug addiction in the United States. (6)
In short, the limited decriminalisation approach in the south of Ireland is a positive measure which will improve the health of those suffering from addiction and reduce the cost the state pays for incarceration. It must, however, be implemented correctly and receive proper funding and expansion if it is to succeed.
References:
1- https://www.hrb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Findings-from-the-Healthy-Ireland-Survey-FINAL.pdf
3- https://www.iprt.ie/latest-news/prison-overcrowding-response-group-report/
