Scottish Highers Modern Studies Detect and Explain: Degree of Objectivity: Study Sources A, B and C then at

Question

Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.

Source A

Approaches to drugs policy

While some countries have decided to take a hard-line criminal stance against drug use, other countries have taken more of a health-based approach. Portugal decriminalised the possession of drugs for personal use in 2001 and now approaches drug use as a health issue, not a criminal issue. An increased number of harm reduction interventions have been introduced, including needle exchange programmes. This new approach has positively impacted the number of deaths related to drug use and health has improved. In the UK, drug use is treated as a criminal offence but there has been increasing pressure on the government to reconsider this strategy, especially given the evidence that more people are dying than ever before.

Drug users often face significant stigma in society, making it difficult to access healthcare and support. Their zero-tolerance approach aims to wipe out the issue of drugs entirely but this has created a situation similar to Portugal with high levels of drug abuse. Singapore has taken a different approach, closely monitoring drug use and enforcing heavy penalties for drug-related crimes. For instance, in 2020 the number of heroin users in Singapore was fewer than 30 per 100,000 citizens, while there were over 500,000 people in Portugal. However, Portugal still has one of the lowest drug death rates in the world.

Source B

Selected statistics

Drug usage % 15-64-year-olds

Country   | Heroin | Cocaine | Ecstasy | Cannab is 
Portugal  | 0.3    | 0.3    | 0.3    | 3.0  
UK        | 0.5    | 3.7    | 0.5    | 7.8  
Singapore | 0.2    | 0.1    | 0.1    | 0.9  
EU average | 0.4    | 1.9    | 0.4    | 8.9

Proportion of total drug deaths by age

<25 years | 29%  
26-39 years | 43%  
40-64 years | 10%  
>65 years | 3%

Annual drug deaths per million citizens, 2010-2020

(Include graph reference)

Source C

Drug use and crime

How a country deals with drugs has a major impact on another significant social issue - crime. One of the aims of any country’s drug policy is to work effectively and to make the public feel safer in their daily lives. Singapore’s government claims that their strict drug laws work effectively at deterring anyone from making, supplying or taking drugs in the first place. For example, possession of a small amount of cannabis could lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years. If a citizen is caught in possession of a large amount of drugs, then they can automatically be sentenced to death for their crime.

Human rights groups have criticised this policy, particularly in cases where people are arrested in areas with hot-spots or drug cartels in the country, because of how these policies target the most vulnerable groups.

In Portugal, decriminalisation of drug use has significantly reduced the Portuguese prison population and eased the burden on the criminal justice system. It also stops the issue of individuals who are hopelessly addicted to drugs from being imprisoned, as they are treated through health programmes. In the UK, the public's attitude towards drug use is still very sceptical. However, there is growing support for decriminalisation.

Public opinion poll

Your country’s drugs policy makes you feel safe on the street.

Singapore | UK

5%  |  25%  
3%  |  20%  
60% |  35%

To what extent is it accurate to state that Portugal’s approach to drugs policy is the most effective?

Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows - Scottish Highers Modern Studies - Question 2 - 2022

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows - Scottish Highers Modern Studies - Question 2 - 2022

To what extent is it accurate to state that Portugal's approach to drugs policy is the most effective?

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