Page 59 - WHACK35

Evidence 6

of Effective

Drug Law Reform PR AC TI CE S O F OTHE R
6 . A SS E SS IN G

AUS TR ALIAN S TATE S
AND TE RRITO RIE S

AND OVE R S E A S

J U RI S DI C TI O N S AND
THE IR

T H E P OR T U G UE S E DE C R I M I N A L I Z AT I ON MODE L APPROACH TO D RUG

L AW
A N D H OW I T C A N E I T H ER H EL P O R L I M I T M E
by Magda Ferreira RE FO RM AND

H OW OTHE R
My name is Magda Ferreira, I am own children if they became
a 43-year old from Lisbon, where infected. I did not know that such P OS ITIV E
I also live. a thing as hepatitis C existed and RE FO RM S COU LD B E
I first started using hashish at witnessed first-hand the naivety
twelve, when I entered high and ignorance of a generation ADO P TE D TO
school. At 16 I moved on to that began to consume without VI C TO RIAN L AW.
smoking heroin. Hashish was knowing the risks. I watched the
available in the same places fear and despair of their families
where the so-called “hard drugs” and the general panic reaction
were sold. Bac k in that it caused. Evidence
1 9 8 9 information was really I tried several treatments. In
scarce and I thought that only many cases those who went to
those who injected could become of Effective
addicted. Casal Ventoso, known rehab didn’t do so by choice
but rath er forc ed by the
as Lisbon’s open air d i f f i c u l t circumstances, many
d r u g supermarket, was at even to avoid criminal prosecution. Drug Law
the height of its success while Some private clinics filled their
HIV was spreading like wildfire.
There was no effective treatment pockets by pushing some sort of
“treatment” to desperate families that
and families were rejecting their Reform
was nothing more than pumping

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