Portugal’s innovative drug policy offers alternative to failed ‘war on drugs’
Posted on September 6, 2012 / Comments Off
Portugal’s radical policy of decriminalising all drugs to tackle escalating drug abuse was met with scepticism and derision by western nations who have long taken a hard line on drug abuse. A decade later, Portugal now has the upper hand after it’s policy has been proven to reduce drug addiction while the zero tolerance nations have begun to admit the “war on drugs” isn’t winning over the “enemy”. Mario Queiroz reviews Portugal’s successes.
Portugal was traditionally one of the European countries with the lowest levels of drug use. That is until the 1980s and 1990s, when drug abuse, especially of heroin, became a major problem.
