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Portugal decriminalizes drugs; world doesn't end
When most of us hear about "legal" drugs in Europe, we think of the Netherlands and its capital Amsterdam, where permissive drug policies and smoke-filled "coffee shops" attract tourists from around the world. (Even Rick Steves!)
What most people don't know is that in 2001, Portugal became the first country in the world to decriminalize all drugs-- including cocaine and heroin-- in an experiment that's now being hailed by many as a rousing success.
According to Salon's Glenn Greenwald, who is fluent in Portuguese and spent months in Portugal studying the effects of decriminalization, several things have happened since 2001:
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Drug use among teens has declined
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Rates of HIV infection from using dirty needles has been cut by 17%
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Portugal has had the lowest rate in Europe of lifetime marijuana use for people over 15
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Deaths resulting from heroin and similar "hard" drugs have been cut in half
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Drug-related crime and violence has been down
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There's been a massive increase in the number of people seeking drug treatment
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Rates of lifetime drug use among 7th to 9th graders went from 14.1% to 10.6%
Most importantly is what did not happen: There was no increase in overall drug use, and Portugal did not become a destination for drug-seeking tourists.
Greenwald writes: "The data show that, judged by virtually every metric, the Portuguese decriminalization framework has been a resounding success. Within this success lie self-evident lessons that should guide drug policy debates around the world."
What do you think, Gadling faithful? Should the U.S. and other countries follow Portugal's model and decriminalize or even legalize drugs?
Time favorably cites Greenwald's study here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris May 21st 2009 11:25AM
I would like to challenge all Gadling readers to come up with a single argument against decriminalization that holds water.
When you make something a crime, you create more criminals, plain and simple. The only things in life that should be criminalized are acts in which one person or entity infringes upon the rights of another. A person's right to destroy their own body with drugs, alcohol, or anything else is their right. The only crime is when their use of the drug leads to an act that infringes upon another's rights.
Think about it this way. I drink beer. Sometimes I drink beer to excess and become drunk. When I do this, I had my keys to a sober person so I do not get into a car and drive and risk causing an accident. Am I a criminal for this? No.
If I drank to excess and got behind the wheel and caused an accident would I be a criminal? YES!
My right to drink alcohol to excess ended where the person whose vehicle and/or life was destroyed became involved. The mere act of drinking alcohol, even to excess, is not, nor should it be, a crime. The act of driving under the influence, however, is, and should be, a crime.
The same should be applied to drugs. If I smoke a joint and sit back on the couch and watch cartoons and eat funyuns am I a criminal? Apply a test of rights. Whose rights would I infringe upon if I were to do this? Aside from my own aspirations of success, I would have harmed noone!
Okay, fine, it's not that hard to convince people that marijuana isn't that bad... let's try something harder.
If I snort a line of cocaine and spend the next three hours running in circles and grinding my teeth, am I a criminal? Again, were this to happen, upon whose rights would I be infringing? Back to the alcohol analogy, if I snort a line of cocaine and get into a fight and beat someone to death, then I am a criminal.
So what makes the criminal, is it the act of consuming the drug? Or is it the act that follows? I personally do not use cocaine or marijuana, but if I used either one or both every single day for the rest of my life in copious amounts and I never harmed another human being in the process, where is the crime? Who will I have hurt other than myself?
I would LOVE to see this country decriminalize drugs! Empty the prisons of people whose only crime is enjoying a quick high on the weekend and make room for the real criminals, the child molesters, the murderers, the rapists, and the politicians! :)
Zach May 21st 2009 2:13PM
But what did the Portuguese do with all of their unused prison space and unemployed police officers? The prison and police industrial complex is what keeps drugs criminalized in the United States.
Rui A. May 22nd 2009 4:53AM
I can answer that one for you, Zach
1 - We don't have unused prison space. Before, we had WAY overcrowded prison facilities... as in the number of inmates more than doubling the estimated maximum capacity. Nowadays, it's a little less cramped in there, but still full to the brim.
2 - We don't have unemployed police officers either. In fact, our police force is still understaffed and inefficiently organized. We need more police officers, in fact.