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.
Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal
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- Portugal decriminalized drugs… what happened?
- AP IMPACT: US Drug War Has Met None Of Its Goals
- Candlelight Vigil to mark 40 years of War on Drugs w/ speaker Jack Cole
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
It used to be considered beneath contempt to use drugs. Now,they push them as the norm. I believe educating your children it is repulsive to do can help immensely as it has before. Re-education can work both ways.
While I’m loathe to call the likes of addiction “diseases” (under the guise that such things as mental illness even exist), it is, however, heartening to see that those who misuse substances can seek out aid based on compassion and understanding rather than malice and punishment.
End the prohibition of narcotics everywhere!
I agree. It makes so much more sense to try and help those who do drugs (if they want it) rather than throw them in jail.
Vote Ron Paul in 2012.
reguardless of facts if portugal will not rejoin us in our war on drugs we may have to invade them to convince them of the error in their ways
we should just invade them no matter what!
You play too many games.. come get us!
We have a past rich of history, do you really think that we are afraid of you? (lol)
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