A new resource to measure good and bad drug policies

Think the Philippines and Russia. Now think Portugal and Mexico.

The former two have made headlines for their violent, often extrajudicial anti-drug user regimes, while the latter pair have been praised for their forward-thinking policies. But there are many more countries in the world whose approaches toward people who use drugs have not been scrutinized so publicly or thoroughly.

On March 27, the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation (CDPE), based in Toronto, Canada, launched an interactive map to promote this further scrutiny.

Using data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on 44 countries (so far), the Drug Policy Metrics Map breaks down how governments around the world manage, police and support people who use drugs. The wealth of data on many metrics—organized in broader categories including Health, Peace & Security, Development, Human Rights, Demand Reduction, Supply Reduction and International Cooperation—allows readers to compares governments’ policies with their outcomes.

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