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Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal

Drug warriors often contend that drug use would skyrocket if we were to legalize or decriminalize drugs in the United States. Fortunately, we have a real-world example of the actual effects of ending the violent, expensive War on Drugs and replacing it with a system of treatment for problem users and addicts.

Ten years ago, Portugal decriminalized all drugs. One decade after this unprecedented experiment, drug abuse is down by half:

Health experts in Portugal said Friday that Portugal’s decision 10 years ago to decriminalise drug use and treat addicts rather than punishing them is an experiment that has worked.

“There is no doubt that the phenomenon of addiction is in decline in Portugal,” said Joao Goulao, President of the Institute of Drugs and Drugs Addiction, a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the law.

The number of addicts considered “problematic” — those who repeatedly use “hard” drugs and intravenous users — had fallen by half since the early 1990s, when the figure was estimated at around 100,000 people, Goulao said.

Other factors had also played their part however, Goulao, a medical doctor added.

“This development can not only be attributed to decriminalisation but to a confluence of treatment and risk reduction policies.”

Many of these innovative treatment procedures would not have emerged if addicts had continued to be arrested and locked up rather than treated by medical experts and psychologists. Currently 40,000 people in Portugal are being treated for drug abuse. This is a far cheaper, far more humane way to tackle the problem. Rather than locking up 100,000 criminals, the Portuguese are working to cure 40,000 patients and fine-tuning a whole new canon of drug treatment knowledge at the same time.

None of this is possible when waging a war.

Ah but we must remember, what they are doing to themselves and those around them is totally irrelevant. They are breaking the rules and must be stopped! Can't have the government be seen to be encouraging counter culture.. god knows what might happen!

What? I had no idea that ANY (1st world especially)country, had decriminalized, basically legallizing (at least the use of, in a basic sense, you get my point) of multiple, or especially ALL narcotic and psychotropic substances and chemicals, organic and synthetic in nature!! :O

Brb on vacation...






Jk. But love what the government tried, and prevailed with there. And for over a decade, gee whizz, impressing. Now those fascist straight edge catholic cunts can suck on that, people should have the right to their own bodies, to do as they wish...yes, people are stupid, that's why the trafficing and marketing should be kept banned, etc. Personal freedom, victimless crimes, ye' feel me?

P.S. I bet the MDMA over there knocks you on your ass absolutely proper, lololol~

"Phenomenon of addiction" LOL.

These finding will be obscured. So they say it's down by half. How do they know that if they are not nicking people doing it? By the people getting treatment?

That's what I was thinking. If it's decriminalised then surely there will be less people seeking/being made to seek help for addiction, as it's not so much of a taboo in the eyes of the law? They appear to have based their figures on addicts in treatment/reffered to treatment.

Aside from that being a slightly fascist comment in itself.....really?

Protestants can be right wing too <3

Anyone who thinks the drugs trade, decriminalised or otherwise, is a victimless crime is an idiot.

Thats what I thought when I read it Dom. But I think it means that they considered 100,000 users to be medically problematic, where as now they consider only 40,000.

Which is the main thing really as its people with hardcore addictions that are likely to cause harm to others as well as them selves.

It would be interesting to know what the police statistics are in terms of drug related crime (theft, muggings etc to fund habits). I would hope that as they consider problem usership to be down that so would the crime associated with it, as the argument you here over here every time this subject is mentioned is that you'd have armies of drug nuts running wild mugging old ladies to pay for their legitimately shop-bought marijuana.

They are probably still arresting people for selling drugs, and the crimes committed to fund users habits. I imagine anyone arrested is still tested for drugs and referred to doctors for treatment if they are found to be users. It's not like before they decriminalised drug use they were kicking doors in to arrest heroin addicts any more than the police here go out of their way to arrest users.

Which is why manufacture and distribution should be brought 'in house' so its controllable.

I believe you still get arrested for possession but rather than being sent to prison you go through rehabilitation programs.

Then it's not decriminalised?

It's decriminalised in that you won't become a criminal if you are arrested for possession you'll be put in a rehab program rather than prosecuted.

No, it is. I don't think he's quite caught the jist of it.

It's a good thing, imo anyway. We've had a similar discussion before.

Instead of criminalising everybody for minor offences and making them seek a 'rehab' session, which they do over here for minor offences too, they tackle the hard drug problems, heroin, crack et cetera. It is something that should be done in every country.
Not only does it unclog the system, it stops people from being brandished with stigmatism and ruining life chances. If there's less moral panic concering drugs there's less discrimination, simple.

I think this is a common misconception, as James said, it's decriminalised so you won't be made a criminal.

If you unclassified or legalised all drugs then everything would be legal.

Yes, but they won't send you to rehab for minor offences, as you suggested it was for all. It all depends what it is about.

Pretty much just like the UK then.

Brits can't handle this sort of shit, period. I'd love to see your average town centre at night if this happens. Would probably bring awhole new meaning to the phrase High Street.

Surely the success of this is based on getting as many people into rehab as possible? Why would they not send them to rehab if they have a daily hard drugs habit? You mean they won't send them to prison for minor offences?

Would you bother sending somebody to rehab for a couple of minor offences like possesion of cannabis? I wasn't talking about hard drugs.

All drugs are decriminalized there, so it takes away all the needless of beaurocracy of the lesser drugs