Economics and human rights

Portugal did not become a Mecca for heroin users, did not fall into a coma, did not win drug addiction. (And where and who won?).

And here are the numbers:

Cases of HIV among drug addicts in 2001 (only fixed) – 1000. In 2012 – only 56!

Death from drugs: in 2001, 80 people, in 2012 – significantly less – 16 people.

Criminal cases related to drug offenses (and budget expenses for conducting these cases, of course). In 2001, there were 14,000 cases. In 2012 – 6000 cases – the budget is saved more than half.

Single use of drugs in Portugal declined in all age groups. This is especially important in the group of 15—24 years. At this age, “single use” means “tried or not.” This means that people who tried drugs, it became in Portugal the least due to decriminalization. (79, 80)

Decriminalization of drugs has led Portugal to European leaders in terms of drug safety.

Stopping to label drug addicts as criminals, the authorities significantly increased the number of those who voluntarily choose treatment.

And money for treatment was safely left – because they stopped spending on useless police chase and trials over drug addicts.

Instead of spending on the “whip”, the Portuguese authorities decided to spend money on the “carrot” – the development of substitution programs and rehabilitation centers. And the result did not keep itself waiting.

UNODC World Drug Report 2016

From the drug overdose in Portugal at the moment in the year, 3 people per million adults die – one of the lowest rates in Europe. (In Russia, about 100 thousand people a year die from an overdose, that is, more than a thousand people per million adults). (81, 82)

An indirect confirmation of the success of decriminalization is that now, 15 years after the adoption of this reasonable decision, not a single Portuguese politician in pursuit of votes has stuttered on the topic of a return to past force-based anti-drug practices. People need to try to heal, not plant for their habits.