Abstract
You're going to see this in headlines: “Court‐mandated compulsory treatment doesn't work.” This is according to a study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy last week. But let's take a closer look. First of all, the “treatment” was for anyone publicly using drugs. Second, the only good outcome was “abstinence.” Third, the study was conducted in Iran. “The effectiveness of court‐mandated compulsory treatment in promoting abstinence among people with substance use disorders in Iran” was conducted by researchers Kamal Aldin Moaddeb and colleagues. You will see it promoted as a reason to eschew compulsory treatment, and indeed, it doesn't work for everyone. But Iran is Iran. Even the Harm Reduction Journal in an article, “Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing,” published last year, noted that Iran criminalizes drug use. In the United States, use is not a crime. Only possessing, manufacturing, and distributing drugs are crimes.
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