Repost This Article
Photo: andronicusmax
TEN YEARS AGO TODAY, Portugal instituted a law that decriminalized the use of drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Now, on the anniversary, they’re reporting some very positive results.
The law stipulated that people caught using or possessing illegal substances would be sent before a panel of psychologists and social workers instead of a judge in a criminal court. Depending on the offender’s use history and level of addiction, he/she would be prescribed treatment rather than jail time. 40,000 drug users are currently being served by this system in Portugal.
Since 2001, incidence of drug-related crime has dropped, as has the estimated number of “problematic” addicts (the latter has been cut in half compared to the early ’90s.) These figures are some of the best in Europe.
With this long-term, wide-scale experiment producing such a favorable outcome, will other countries follow Portugal’s lead? 
* Story via France24
Hal Amen
Hal Amen is managing editor at Matador. His personal travel blog is WayWorded.
Connect with Facebook
As Bill Hicks said, “It’s not a war on drugs, it’s a war on personal freedoms. Just so you know.”
of course as buddy was saying about bill hicks and any other rational person, its time to evolve ideas, how about instead of offer jail sentences and condemation, how about offer hope and positive atmospheres to these sick people who are slaves to these drugs and let the people who want to do certain spiritual drugs as a learning experience be without the prospect of jail time and a ruined career. its time to evolve folks, it didnt stop at thumbs and a big brain of which we only use 10 percent of and which we have 90 % left to illuminate!
portugal’s lead? wow so the ever ill informed moronicans are now impressed by portugal…. I can respect that… but there is a liitle country in northern europe called The Netherlands… liberal druglaws for over 40 years… strict gunlaws for over 400 years.. low crime…low addiction… relatively high common sense… bath salts and meth aren’t very popular overhere either…. so yay for portugal , but it’s nothing new…
“* Story via France24″.
Link broken or removed?