ALL or NOTHING

I can't help but wondering if the decriminalization should be complete - give tobacco companies etc. the right to sell drugs much cheaper than on the street. But require records to be kept of users and referral to the treatment centre. Wouldn't that stop the criminal dealers? Either that, or make all drug selling and drug use illegal. Not this half-half approach. Unless of course, the government is willing to continually pour our policing resources into a battle made more ineffectual.

examining the data

Considering the new law, since July 2001, the drug dependent as a patient who needs medical treatment and not a criminal even if he commits a crime, the situation in Portugal had worsen. The sharp rise - 40% the most relevant in Europe (World Drug Report 2009) - of drug related homicides, along with the mounting rise in each and every drug prevalence, HIV - top in Europe (EMCDDA 2010) - and drug related deaths - 45% between 2006 and 2007 the more elevated since 2001 (IDT 2008) - tough us that drug policies that facilitate, accomplices and socialize with free drug use are the worst step to reduce drug slavery. To legalize crime committed by drug dependents (or by 'patients') doesn't seem the most effective way to fight it. To facilitate access to drugs, as one can see, will never be the way to reduce the use, the decrease of drug dependences and related crime. It is indeed curious what happened until these days in Portugal: drug dependents, with the Government's tacit support, invoke their condition of 'patients' not to be punished for their crimes, but then forget they have a 'disease of the will' and assume themselves as free and responsible people, that decide, willingly, if they want to be treated or not! Considering, by decriminalization, the drug dependent as a patient and not as a delinquent State cannot then choose, through a policy which gave priority during the last years to 'harm reduction', to feed the 'disease' instead of healing it. Manuel Pinto Coelho, M.D., Ph.D.

Other factors

I am interested in the HIV/Aids rate in Portugal and in comparison to other European nations. Also in the number of crimes that are puported to be the direct result of Illegal drug use - violence and thefts - these are often cited whenever the decriminalisation concept is introduced. Has Portugal's prison system had a radical reduction in prisoners and is there a flow-on effect in the budget? Where could I find this information?

cannabis is safer than alcohol

cannabis has the same addiction potential as caffeine, at 9%, while alcohol is 15% and tobacco 32%. cannabis is a form of medicine that treats the largest variety of illness including cancer, depression and anxiety. maybe it is reasonable to councel the cocaine and heroine users but its pointless to councel weed users, they might be more correct than the councellor

Harm Minimisation

Portugal is closest to the best model imo..

Great and clear

Very well recorded and reported. Easy to understand for English Language learners. will use it for my EFL classes. if you dont mind. Very informative and also interesting for us, neighbours of Portugal. Excellent occasion for debate.

To Ben

Thanks Ben, my colleague Amos Roberts did a great story on Guinea Bissau - you should be able to find it on the dateline website. Brazil is interesting because there is a discussion going on about doing the same as Portugal - or going even further. One for next year!

Not so fast...

There is a colossal difference between legalising use and creating an overnight industry in psychedelics & other substances. It's been pointed out that the main issue is health (both physical and mental), but other social issues deserve consideration: criminality, impact on work place and education, to name a few. They will all need policing and legislation. Maybe the income for cash-strapped European governments becomes the main incentive? Is that really appealing?