Inaugural Offering of Portugal May-Term Study Abroad on Drug Policy
This year, Dr. Rob Glover offered (along with Dr. Karyn Sporer in Sociology) a faculty-led study abroad to Portugal to examine that country’s drug policies as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon. Portugal has long been a global leader in approaching substance use as a public health issue, as opposed to a singular focus on criminal justice: arrest, punishment, and incarceration. This project has been supported with grants from the U.S. State Department and Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center here on campus.
In this inaugural year of the program, Drs. Glover and Sporer brought twenty students to Portugal for a three-week study abroad during the May-term, along with two policy advocates working professionally on this policy issue here in Maine.
Portugal’s drug decriminalization policy, implemented in 2001, has garnered international attention for its innovative approach to addressing drug use and addiction. Instead of punishing individuals found in possession of small quantities of drugs for personal use, the country opted for a public health-centered strategy. Under this model, individuals caught with drugs are not subject to criminal charges but are instead referred to a dissuasion commission, made up of legal, health, and social work professionals. The commission assesses each case individually, offering support and guidance rather than punitive measures. This approach aims to destigmatize drug use, encourage individuals to seek help for addiction, and reduce the burden on the criminal justice system.
Over the years, Portugal’s drug decriminalization policy has demonstrated promising results. Studies have shown a significant decrease in drug-related deaths, HIV infections, and drug-related crime rates since the implementation of the policy. Moreover, there has been an increase in the number of individuals seeking treatment for addiction, indicating a shift towards viewing drug addiction as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. Portugal’s approach has sparked discussions worldwide about alternative drug policies, with many countries considering similar reforms to address drug-related problems more effectively while prioritizing public health and human rights.
While in Portugal, students learn firsthand from architects of this unique policy, experts in public health, and practitioners who are responsible for its implementation in diverse fields such as public health, law, and criminal justice. They’ve also been able to enjoy one of the most exciting, dynamic, culturally rich, and affordable capital cities in all of Western Europe.
While students spend time in the classroom, much of the important work they conduct is in the field, traveling to sites across Lisbon where this bold alternative approach is conducted: government offices devoted to intervention efforts, the Portuguese equivalent of the FBI, the Portuguese Supreme Court and Parliament, the addiction wing of a Portuguese correctional facility, and much more.
At the close of this experience, students reflect on what they have learned and consider the aspects of the Portuguese model that might “travel” to other political and policy contexts such as our own here in the United States. Students build upon what they learn to craft and present “policy briefs,” which provide evidence-based, actionable policy steps that could inform our own approach to this vexing and difficult issue.
Opportunities such as this enrich the student experience, but also can catalyze the types of thinking and expertise that will be essential to think expansively about how to address this policy issue in the future. Drs. Glover and Sporer intend to run this program annually if there is sufficient student interest. If the initial offering of this course is any indication (with over 100 students expressing interest and dozens more applications than there were available spots on the trip), this course will be a coveted educational opportunity for years to come.
