RIP

[alvarezbassist17]

Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal

July 7, 2011 by Trevor Lyman

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.

[TheSeeker1080]

Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal

July 7, 2011 by Trevor Lyman

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.

Hopefully other countries will learn from this example.

[Variable]

Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal

July 7, 2011 by Trevor Lyman

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.

uh, thank you sir, for posting this (without a link you d-bag). Don't worry, I googled the link for myself and shared it with others.

This is very cool though. I mean, I'm sure it will get spun 6000 ways; but still, it's good that this kind of stuff is finally hitting the press in a real and not hypothetical form.

I recently wrote a paper on why all drugs should be decriminalized (highest grade in the class for the entire semester btw ) But the hardest part of writing a paper like that is convincing the reader that decriminalizing drugs would actually lower drug use. Because the only real argument for that lies in theory and logic, not the scientific method. But this, is at least a start. Thanks again man.

[blixa]

i can't imagine my country heading down that route. a lot of people are still crying injustice over the injection rooms even though they have decreased overdoses and disease spread by dirty needles amongst drug users.

[spitfire]

dont get me wrong, but that article is twisted. drugs arent legal here in portugal, the use of it, is (however if you get caught you need to identify yourself and if you have a quantity above 10 times the average daily you are considered a drug dealer and get arrested, also if you get caught with less than that amount, for like 3 times, cops identify you and you need to go to a drug addiction session)
.
If you ask me, this model is a big lie, you dont legalize drugs, decriminalize its use, drug traffic still exists and pretend everything is ok, hiding the ugly truth.

regarding this subject, two days ago in the documentaries topic i posted two docs about drugs. check them out, it really makes you think.

[alvarezbassist17]

I guess the point is more that they're headed in a better direction, do you think it's gotten better or worse? 

I'm absolutely for complete legalization, I just think portugal's a pretty good pedagogical example, and really the only one we have.

[100Modem]

Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal

July 7, 2011 by Trevor Lyman

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.

Portugal fuck yeah

[spitfire]

I guess the point is more that they're headed in a better direction, do you think it's gotten better or worse?  

I'm absolutely for complete legalization, I just think portugal's a pretty good pedagogical example, and really the only one we have.

to be honest i dont see much of a difference in terms on demand for drugs. but it has its good points as not filling prisons will addicts and less police focus on those. but the ugly truth of traffic exists.
now in the city where i live, in the past few months, there has been a major controversy over the so called legal drugs, which are sold in stores. which look likes herbs, but its full of chemicals, which are dangerous as hell. the thing is, if they include one chemical in the "black list of substances" which are considered drugs, the laboratories will just make a variation of it, which legally isnt the same as the banned one and its a spiral with no end. a complete waste of time for everyone.
im full support of drugs being sold in stores (obviously not to persons with mental illness or under 18), that would target the drug traffic (it will always exists, as still exist with tobacco, but it would be severe affected), the state would earn more money from taxes from the business of drugs and the consumer will know they are buying quality drugs, not mixed with other shit as they do today.
its a social, conservative and fear of  what would happen and seriously i dont think it will happen in our time, maybe in 100 years.
just because tobacco and alcohol is legal, not everyone is drunk and smoking 24/7. but this so called, developed society is afraid of changes.

[There Will Be Blood]

RIP everyone who passed away during the 9/11 attacks....I cant imagine how it must have been in that building or on that plane. I'm just sorry, my prayers go out to anyone who lost a love one on that tragic day.....

[bIondie]

rest in peace pre-9/11 america. you were somewhat tolerable before so...now you're an annoying fucking douche.

way to honor dead americans by trolling the rest that are still alive.

[Penicks]

happy 9/11 everyone!



OHHH YEAAAAAAAAH

[bright lights, big city]

i lol'd

[BillyNo.9]

i lol'd

then

[Penicks]

no, but in all seriousness, this still gets me after all this time.

tribute.wmv

[bright lights, big city]

Spartacus died
http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/12/spartacus-star-andy-whitfield-dead-at-39/

[theis]

Never seen the show, but damn...39 years old. Pretty damn sad. Cancer's a bitch.

[theis]

http://www.apple.com/

RIP.

[bright lights, big city]

Guess they should have debuted the iCoffin yesterday.



Too soon?

[devilinside]

d'oh!













lol

[Oldnewtype]

RIP Steve Jobs, thanks for the free phone.