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http://www.businessinsider.com/portugal-drug-policy-decriminalization-works-2012-7Portugal Decriminalized All Drugs Eleven Years Ago And The Results Are Staggering
Samuel Blackstone | Jul. 17, 2012, 9:37 AM | 84,002 | 42
On July 1st, 2001, Portugal decriminalized every imaginable drug, from marijuana, to cocaine, to heroin. Some thought Lisbon would become a drug tourist haven, others predicted usage rates among youths to surge.
Eleven years later, it turns out they were both wrong.
Over a decade has passed since Portugal changed its philosophy from labeling drug users as criminals to labeling them as people affected by a disease. This time lapse has allowed statistics to develop and in time, has made Portugal an example to follow.
First, some clarification.
Portugal's move to decriminalize does not mean people can carry around, use, and sell drugs free from police interference. That would be legalization. Rather, all drugs are "decriminalized," meaning drug possession, distribution, and use is still illegal. While distribution and trafficking is still a criminal offense, possession and use is moved out of criminal courts and into a special court where each offender's unique situation is judged by legal experts, psychologists, and social workers. Treatment and further action is decided in these courts, where addicts and drug use is treated as a public health service rather than referring it to the justice system (like the U.S.), reports Fox News.
The resulting effect: a drastic reduction in addicts, with Portuguese officials and reports highlighting that this number, at 100,000 before the new policy was enacted, has been halved in the following ten years. Portugal's drug usage rates are now among the lowest of EU member states, according to the same report.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/portugal-drug-policy-decriminalization-works-2012-7#ixzz210A2yrMK
musiclawyer
(2,335 posts)Full legalization will work even better if enough tax revenue is set aside for public health treatment. There will always be addicitive personality types who need help and not jail.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Or start throwing alcohol abusers in prison, too.
eppur_se_muova
(36,285 posts)Drug pushers exploit addicts, and should be prosecuted, for the good of society at large. Whenever right-wingers argue against decriminalization, this needs to be brought up. Decriminalization won't keep pushers out of jail.
Blue Meany
(1,947 posts)First, the black market for drugs would be destroyed, with attendant lay offs in smuggling as well as wholesale and retail sales. In many parts of the country this is vital to the local economy. Profits for drug manufacturing would be way down. The prison industry would go into decline, with an impact on all the industries that depend on prison slave-labor. There would be increased unemployment in all the related profession, bail-bondsmen, security and prison-guards, police, paid-informants, chemists, etc., etc. Then there is the added costs to tax payers of hiring more teachers to educate all the former drug users, and the increased costs of recruiting police when there are no more drugs for them to sieze and use or resell. Then, too, the prices of black-market stolen goods would go way up without an army of addicts desperate for their next fix. Simply put: legalizing drugs would be a financial disaster <sarcasm>!
aquart
(69,014 posts)Did you ever think of that?
lame54
(35,318 posts)I can dream can't I?
Stargazer09
(2,132 posts)Wall Street has many, many people deserving of the for-profit prison system.
barbtries
(28,811 posts)how far a little compassion goes. good on Portugal.
lame54
(35,318 posts)insensitivity has become the norm
trof
(54,256 posts)WE'RE #1 !!!
A national health program, global climate change, the 'war on drugs', infrastructure, mass transportation, energy, and on and on.
The European and Scandinavian countries are doing great things in these areas.
We are so absolutely hidebound with 'Not Invented Here'.
We have been a great country.
We aren't any more.
All because of an ignorant and misguided electorate and ignorant, self-serving, corrupt politicians that we elect.
Bother.
Blue Owl
(50,490 posts)n/t
russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)Patiod
(11,816 posts)In addition, I have a cousin who worked for the justice Dept before he worked for Ken Starr. This guy is as conservative as it's possible to be -- Opus Day, full-out right winger.
Even HE said that the "War on Drugs" was un-winnable, and we should simply decriminalize them. (I think he may have even said we need to just give up and legalize them, but I don't remember). I DO remember sitting at Thanksgiving with him years ago while he explained to his mother that as soon as we get rid of one dealer, 10 others rush in to fill the gap, and we should be putting our resources elsewhere.
Even a blind pig....
Blanks
(4,835 posts)I may be looking for a new progressive place to live toward the middle part of November of this year.