Portugal's decision 10 years ago to decriminalise drug use

[SHRED]

News that will NEVER make it on to the mainstream USA "news".


Police technicians test the purity of cocaine in 2009. Health experts in Portugal said that Portugal's decision 10 years ago to decriminalise drug use and treat addicts rather than punishing them is an experiment that has worked.

Portugal drug law show results ten years on, experts say

AFP - 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."

Portugal's holistic approach had also led to a "spectacular" reduction in the number of infections among intravenous users and a significant drop in drug-related crimes, he added.

MORE:
http://www.france24.com/en/20110701-portugal-drug-law-show-results-ten-years-experts-say#

----

[gateley]

1. Wow - pretty impressive results!

We could broadcast that to the masses here but they'd think it wouldn't apply -- "we're different".

Good for Portugal!

Is EVERY country in the world smarter than we are? :(

[Bluenorthwest]

2. The initial choice by Portugal was motivated by lack of money.

They correctly decided they could not afford to lock so many up for so long with no positive results. I personally do not think 'the masses' (of which you and I are both members) would reject such reform, it is the leadership and their associates who profit from the status quo who reject the idea of even talking about reform. Look at the facts, State after State reforming marijuana laws, medical and general, while the Federal Government fights them all the way. The 'masses' keep bringing forth and voting into law changes and reforms, hard to deny that fact.

[indepat]

5. Portugal, unlike the good ole USA, can't continue to borrow trillions of dollars to fund wars on

drugs, terra, etc. :patriot:

[gateley]

7. My concern is that the for-profit sector will take over, so

then there will be incentive to bust as many people as possible, and lots of $$$ put behind the anti-legalize campaign.

Isn't it sad that our country has become so anti-do-the-right-thing? It's solely the Republicans. :puke:

[msongs]

3. meanwhile our president has declared war on medical marijuana clinics nt

[demosincebirth]

4. Who would have thought!

[jwirr]

6. Wonder how is would work with things like Oxycodone? My grandson

is battling this addiction right now. Actually he would not be going into treatment for the second time if the courts had not required it along with 3-4 years probation. He has custody of his two children because his lady is even worse. She has yet to admit there is anything wrong - even though she just about killed her 18 month old child when he got one of the pills. I am all for treatment over prison but it sometimes takes a court to get one into treatment.

[gateley]

8. Good point. I think in an Oxycodone-type situation the person

would still be charged -- unless the prescription was made out to him/her. So there would be a court/sentencing action. I THINK that makes sense! But that's an important consideration that would need to be addressed because more than anything, these people need help.

They need to go into treatment for a LONG time (something that current insurance probably won't pay for!). I know a woman who kept getting busted for DUIs and getting sent to treatment. After about the FOURTH time, she said, no more of those treatment centers, send me to jail. She was in jail for a YEAR, but was sober when she came out and has been sober ever since. Not fair to try to help these people for 30 days then throw them back out into the shark infested waters. Addictions are so tough to conquer, otherwise I'm guessing every addict would quit.

Good luck to your grandson! :hug:

[jwirr]

9. Back in the good old days I had a friend who drank all the time. His

mother had placed him in treatment so he could be sober long enough to gain some weight and get better. He was in treatment 14 times. The last time he went in before his mother died he said to me, "I could teach this class." For him it never worked. He died when he was 50 years old.