[War on Drugs or War against Health? The pitfalls for public health of Puerto Rican drug policy].
Puerto Rico has followed the United States in adopting drug policy sustained on a criminal justice model that limits the opportunities to address problematic drug use through public health interventions. Demand for illegal drugs is controlled by criminalizing drug use and applying jail sentences for drug offenses. These strategies marginalize drug users and reduce opportunities to minimize health risks applying public health measures. Production and sale of illegal drugs is criminalized with the intent of dissuading drug use, with adverse unintended health effects that impact both drug users and non-drug users in the community. The present work reviews the assumptions of the punitive prohibitionist model and its outcomes that present themselves as public health challenges in Puerto Rico. It also presents those principles that should sustain pragmatic drug policy to address problematic drug use from a health and social perspective.
Universidad Carlos Albizu, San Juan, Puerto Rico. ssantiago@albizu.edu
Salvador
S
Santiago-Negrón
Carmen E
CE
Albizu-García
D003415:Crime; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000191:economics; D006078:Government Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006291:Health Policy; D006806:Human Rights; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011329:Prisoners; D011634:Public Health; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012918:Social Alienation; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D012940:Social Problems; D012946:Social Welfare; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities / Q000191:economics
D013287:Illicit Drugs