Decriminalising Drugs

In 2001 portugal was the first European country to put the drug policy into place. This meant that the use of drugs were decriminalised and instead drug possession was seen as a public health issue, not a criminal issue. If a person is found with a small quantity of a narcotic (10 days’ worth for personal use). The drug is summoned to a panel called Comissões para a Dissuasão da Toxicodependência. The person is then assessed by a social worker, psychiatrist and an attorney. If it is seen as an addiction the person treatment is offered or community service however treatment cannot be imposed but only offered. Civil sanction can also be imposed which can be a fine between €25–€150, loss of professional licence, or even suspension of a professional licence. The manufacturing, importation and sale of drugs is still illegal and the drug policy has shifted drug use from a criminal offence to a health issue.

Despite many being skeptical that the decriminalisation of drugs would drastically increase drug use it has in fact decreased over the past 15 years. The decriminalisation of drugs has been seen to have many benefits but also many hindrances.

Benefits:
  • Substance abuse rates have halved since 2001 - people who suffer from abuse are now being given the help that they require instead of being 
  • Addiction is less expensive than incarceration 
  • Addict are given the opportunity to recover in rehab rather than in jail
  • Removes the stigma of drug users 
  • Allowed the opportunity to be productive members of society as they won’t have a criminal record attached to their name 
  • Less scared if caught which may result in them being more expensive to treatment or even addressing that they may have a problem with substance abuse 
  • Drug use is seen as a disease rather than a crime 
  • Criminal justice system is able to focus on keeping the public safer as there will be more spaces in jails and more money to deal with crimes
  • Mental health can be treated with greater success

Drawbacks:
  • Can encourage experimentation which could end up with some individuals having more health problems
  • Drugs prices decrease as more people are buying them meaning more people will want to take up the opportunity of trying drugs 
  • Decriminalisation could eventually lead to the government legalising drugs.

Overall, evidence has proven there to be more pros than cons. This has meant that more and more countries are now considering decriminalising drugs. In fact, many countries are now looking to looking to decriminalise drugs in the same way and Norway became the first Scandinavian country to do so.

Hope you have found this informative and enjoyed reading,
Amanda Kadye

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