Why don’t we talk about Portugal more?

macleod:

genderfuckt:

eccentric-nae:

They decriminalized ALL drugs. Every single one. Yes, even that one. If you get caught w. more than a 10 days supply (what ever that means) of any drug you meet in front of a Doctor, Lawyer and Social worker about drug addiction. They may or may not give you a fine but essentially there’s no penalty.

AND IT WORKED! ADDICTION RATES DROPPED. HIV RATES IN INJECTION USERS DROPPED. DEATH BY DRUG OD PLUMMETED.

Potugal has shown us that when we treat drug addiction as a medical/health issue, instead of a moral one, it is more efficient.

WOW LETS TALK ABOUT THIS!

“In the year
2000, Portugal had one of the worst problems in Europe with drugs. One
percent of the population was addicted to heroin, which is kind of
mind-blowing. The prime minister and the leader of the opposition got
together and did something really bold: They said, ‘Look, we’ve been
trying the American way. Every year, we crack down, we put more people
in prison, and every year the problem gets worse. Let’s do this
differently.’”

Portugal decided to decriminalize all drugs in 2000. In the nearly 15 years since, the country has seen drug abuse drop by half. Government officials are thrilled with the results. The logic: instead of creating harsher conditions for drug users, why not give them a way out?

The political leaders of the country decided to leave it up to a
panel of scientists on what to do, and they agreed to their findings in
advance.

“It took it out
of politics,” Hari said. “The panel goes away, comes back and says,
‘Decriminalize everything, from cannabis to crack. But — and this is the
crucial next step — let’s spend all the money we currently spend on
arresting drug users, trying drug users, imprisoning drug users, and
just put all that money to reconnect drug addicts with society.  To give
them a purpose in life.’