[Pulgasari]

Originally Posted by TheIrateTurk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Portugal etc.

Most of the claims being made for the ‘success of Portugal’s decriminalisation of all types of drug use are false claims.

Decriminalisation has increased drug use for all age-groups

Decriminalisation has seen sharp increases amongst high-school students

Portugal’s drug use, other than for heroin, was initially lower than European
averages

It is not clear what caused major decreases in opiate use before decriminalisation,
but opiate use was in fact declining before decriminalisation

While drug deaths in Portugal are much lower in Portugal due to heroin being
smoked or snorted rather than injected, drug overdose mortality is currently
increasing

HIV decreases are mostly not due to decriminalisation

Other countries have proven interventions which have markedly reduced drug use,
with coerced or mandatory rehab acceptable to their populations

Australia’s Tough on Drugs shows a far superior success to Portugal

A newly released national survey suggests the percent of adults who have used illicit drugs increased to 12.8 percent in 2022, up from 7.8 in 2001, though still below European averages.