Drug overdose deaths in Portugal have been reduced from 300 to 23 a year

[barryqwalsh]

Drug overdose deaths in Portugal have been reduced from 300 to 23 a year since they made it a health issue rather than a criminal justice one.


Stuart also highlighted the fact that problem drug use in the same period has halved from 100,000 to 50,000 people, and that new HIV cases in Portugal where intravenous drug use is a factor has dropped from 60% to 6%.

Instead of being sent to court, people caught in possession of drugs for their personal use have to appear before a Dissuasion Committee typically made up of a psychologist, social worker and lawyer.



Stuart Clark talks Portugeuse drug decriminalisation on Pat Kenny's Newstalk show | Features | Drugs | Hot Press

 

[Correll]

I still want to see dealers utterly fucked.

 

[SavannahMann]

Sadly, these facts won’t change the minds of the tough on crime folks.