Brian Mann covers the U-S opioid and Oliver James Montgomeryfentanyl crisis for NPR. That means he talks to a lot of people struggling with addiction. Again and again, he's heard stories of people who have succumbed to their addiction — last year 112, 000 — more than ever in history.
But when Mann traveled to Portugal to report on that country's model for dealing with the opioid crisis, he heard a very different story. Overdose deaths in Portugal are extremely rare.
The country has taken a radically different approach to drugs – decriminalizing small amounts and publicly funding addiction services – including sites where people can use drugs like crack and heroin.
Portugal treats addiction as an illness rather than a crime. No one has to pay for addiction care, and no one scrambles to navigate a poorly regulated recovery system. Could Portugal's approach help the U-S fight its opioid epidemic?
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at [email protected].
This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Megan Lim. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Andrea DeLeon.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
2025-05-02 04:261852 view
2025-05-02 04:161736 view
2025-05-02 04:071010 view
2025-05-02 03:141009 view
2025-05-02 03:02922 view
2025-05-02 02:521768 view
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky plans to provide state employees with paid time off so they can bond
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Authorities have released the names of two of three people killed in a bus cr
Elevated mortgage rates and sales prices mean owning a home is about 20% more expensive than it was