5 Years After: Portugal's Drug Decriminalization Policy Shows Positive Results

SciAm.com ^

[MAD-AS-HELL]

In the face of a growing number of deaths and cases of HIV linked to drug abuse, the Portuguese government in 2001 tried a new tack to get a handle on the problem—it decriminalized the use and possession of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, LSD and other illicit street drugs. The theory: focusing on treatment and prevention instead of jailing users would decrease the number of deaths and infections.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Kudos to Portugal for having the guts to try something different than the failed policies of drug prohibition.

[Gondring]

Note:

Under the Portuguese plan, penalties for people caught dealing and trafficking drugs are unchanged; dealers are still jailed and subjected to fines depending on the crime. But people caught using or possessing small amounts—defined as the amount needed for 10 days of personal use—are brought before what's known as a "Dissuasion Commission," an administrative body created by the 2001 law.

[muawiyah]

Nonsense. The Ports are assigning a lawyer, a judge AND a social worker to your case, and then harrassing you to distraction.

No doubt most junkies in this country would consider jail preferable.

Still, be careful what you ask for, although the death rate is down, that is just for "street deaths", not "total deaths" within the population of dopers and junkies.

The writer seems to have a reason for not telling us. I fear the worst.

[americanophile]

"Dissuasion Commission"

LOL.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

For the past two weeks, I’ve been on a Grand Jury indicting literally dozens of people with felonies for possession of a gram or less of coke or crack or whatever.

Over and over and over again.

I also live off and on in Sweden. Very few drug issues there. Also lax penalties for drugs and a lot of social support for druggies.

I am a law and order guy to the max but the present methods of eradication are not working. A different method needs to be created. Even if it is legalization.

[Moonman62]

I also live off and on in Sweden. Very few drug issues there.

Do you get many Swedes before your Grand Jury?

[Moonman62]

It’s important when doing something like this that the drugs aren’t legitimized. For instance, Amsterdam has had it with being a drug haven and is reversing policy.

[dasboot]

Also lax penalties for drugs and a lot of social support for druggies.

Yep....allow yourself to be a junkie, and you can get paid for it. A win/win. [and a heck of a lot more fun than getting knocked-up and 'failing' to acquire work or a committed sperm donor...a monkey on yer back that never goes away...]

80% taxation in Sweden?

I must ponder......

[EEDUDE]

“A different method needs to be created. Even if it is legalization.”

Absolutely. The cure is worse than the disease.

[muawiyah]

Portugal lived under a fascist dictatorship (remember Salazar?) for a long time. They know how to do these things.

I can imagine what that lawyer does to you, and the judge? You have a judge constantly reviewing your case, deciding your dosage, holding back here a bit, adding to it there, until you are a perfectly balanced zombie.

That's where the social worker comes in ~ ever met a Portuguese social worker?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I was on a jury call a few years ago where several young men and women were charged with pot and meth offenses.
In my pre-trial interview, I was asked if marijuana was a "problem." I answered "NO."
I was then asked if I thought meth was a problem and I answered "Yes, without doubt." Our jury found all the defendant guilty but we couldn't differentiate who was doing pot or meth, so we found everybody guilty of a lesser charge and all of us slept in our own beds that night.

[muawiyah]

Really now ~ do you think things are that good in Scanderhoovia?

Think about their drinking while driving laws.

Gad!

[Clemenza]

Swedes have the highest median IQ in Europe, a low crime rate, high literacy, and the lowest rate of religious attendance outside of North Korea.

They do like to drink though, although they do it "quietly."

[Clemenza]

bttt

[kempo]

I would be willing to bet that 90% of the crime in this country (murder, robbery, burglary, forgery) is committed for the purpose of selling or obtaining drugs. We would be better off to legalize it. Take the big cash profits out of it and it would be like monopoly money. Worthless.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I'll bet you a Dala Horse that if Obama is re-elected, the taxes in Sweden will be lower than in the US by 2014.

Actually, the top tier income tax rate for high earners is pretty close now.

The 80% tax rates are pretty much over in Sweden. It was in the 1980's that Astrid Lindgren, author of the Pippi Longstocking books, started their tax revolt. Her income tax one year ended up being 110% of her income.

After the revolt, which shook up the government, tax rates and social benefits really declined.

I'd also be willing to bet you that locking up all these drug-monkeys costs more per addict than Sweden's social programs. You'd also have to add in the expenses related to the high drug related crime rate which could be reduced. Have the government sell it, tax it and turn back part of the profit to drug rehab.

[familyop]

Drug dealers should be hung the slow way by all of their neighbors. Drug addicts love their slavery, so they should be put in work camps.

[muawiyah]

Swedes do NOT have the highest IQs in Europe. The Finns do. At the same time they have some of the nastiest likker laws on Earth.

[muawiyah]

Bernie Madoff would think you nuts for making a bet like that. He knows where the big bucks are!

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Yea, driving with a .02 will get you a night in jail. DUI roadblocks all over the place, even Sunday at 10:00am (to catch yesterday’s drinkers).

When Swedes drink, they seem to drink to excess, but I never see, smell or hear of much drug use. Of course the ethnic immigrants from Albania and Russia are bringing in more and more but it hasn’t broken out too much into the local population yet.