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of cannabis penalization - there- *Editor’s Note:
fore I think this law is the By 1999, nearly 1% of the Portuguese
intermediate step to the population was addicted to heroin and
legislation that should be applied. drug-related AIDS deaths were the high-
I agree and I hope for a day where est in the European Union. In 2000, 6
the policy-makers and society, as Portugal shifted drug control from the
Justice Department to the Ministry of
a whole, will have the courage to Health and implemented a robust public
go ahead with the regulation of health model for treating hard drug
illicit substances (it will have to addiction. In seeking to reduce the poverty
happen gradually, I know). We gap, the Government expanded the
have the right to know what we welfare system with a guaranteed
minimum income.
are using, as is now the case with In 2001, the government, after many
store-bought alcohol or tobacco. years of waging a fierce war on drugs,
decided to flip its strategy entirely and
As an ironic consequence of all decriminalized all drugs. Caught in the
these drug criminalization possession of up to a 10-day supply of any
efforts, production, distribu- narcotic ie cannabis, cocaine and heroin,
tion and selling were left in the the worst a user faces is the equivalent of 6 . A SS E SS IN G
a speeding ticket, no criminal penalties
hands of dangerous and vio- apply. It’s more likely s/he will be diverted PR AC TI CE S O F OTHE R
lent cartels. Regardless of a bit of into treatment, and harm reduction services
timid progress in some parts of such as needle and syringe programs. AUS TR ALIAN S TATE S
the world, exclusion and dis- Evaluations show the rates of overdose AND TE RRITO RIE S
crimination directed at drug and other drug-related deaths, of HIV
infections from contaminated needles and
users still persist. Fortunately, syringes and of narcotic use overall have AND OVE R S E A S
we are seeing real examples in fallen since 2001, when decriminalization was J U RI S DI C TI O N S AND
the world which show that it is a implemented alongside other programs
worthy goal to end this violent, designed to improve treatment and curb THE IR
expensive war against drugs and poverty. APPROACH TO D RUG
In addition, drug use has declined overall
to turn to solutions based on among those most at risk of initiating
knowledge, human rights, and drug use: the 15-24-year-old population. L AW
with the participation and RE FO RM AND
involvement of the people who
use them. H OW OTHE R
P OS ITIV E

Biographical Note: RE FO RM S COU LD B E
ADO P TE D TO
Magda Ferreira works at a harm reduction
centre in Lisbon called IN-Mouraria and is VI C TO RIAN L AW.
interested in the intersection between drug use,
health and gender.
You can contact her by email at
magda.ferreira@gatportugal.org. Evidence
H RV I C C A LL S O N
TH E V I C TO R I A N
G OV E R N M E NT TO: of Effective

•D EC R IMIN A LIS E A LL N A RCOTI C
D RU G U S E A N D P O S S E S S I O N O F
U P TO A 10 - DAY S U P P LY; Drug Law

•I N C R E A S E F U N D I N G TO :
o E X PA N D T H E N EED L E A N D S Y R I N G E
P R O G R AM AC R O S S VI C TO RIA ;
o R E S O U R C E P EER ED U C ATO R S TO Reform
WO R K R EG IO N A L LY;
o I M P R OV E ACC E S S TO N A LOXO N E
FO R LOW I N CO M E E A R N ER S .
TO R 6 : E V I D E N C E O F E F F EC T I V E D R U G L AW R E F O R M / P O R T U G A L 61

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