Countries around the world should be looking to Portugal as a model of effective narcotics control. Ten years after the decriminalization of narcotics took place in the European nation has retaken control of the drug issue.

In the 1990s Portugal had a huge social and economic problem with the volume of intravenous and ‘hard’ drug users, with the number of users estimated at 100,000 in a country of only 10 million. There were also high costs associated with the drug mortality rate, contraction of blood borne illnesses as well as the costs of catching and punishing users which was wasting resources that could be put to better use. Portugal is not a rich country by any means and as it stood they could no longer afford to pay the costs of the war on drugs.

In 2001 Portugal decriminalized all narcotics under heavy criticism from other Western nations. That is not to say that they legalized drugs, but it was no longer a criminal offense to possess a personal amount of any narcotic (a personal amount is defined as what one would use in a 10-day period). This also does not mean that producing or trafficking drugs is condoned. Instead of putting those who are reprimanded through the justice system they created panels composed of psychologists, judges and social workers to deal with users and provide the most effective method of treatment if it is necessary. Now, instead of having 100,000 criminals the system is concerned with about 40,000 patients to help them get their lives in order.

Although there was wide speculation about the effects that the change of laws would cause, there has been no spike in narco-tourism or drug use in the Portugal. In fact, drug use has declined in Portugal to the point where it is below the European average and significantly below its’ closest neighbour, Spain. The number of new HIV/AIDS and hepatitis infections has plummeted, along with other blood-borne illnesses. There has also been a dramatic reduction in drug-related crimes. It is estimated that intravenous drug use has fallen by half since the mid-1990s.

Portugal’s approach may be less Libertarian and more intervention by the state than some would like, but it appears to be working. It is more effective and costs less than hard line policies such as that in the United States. In these hard economic times it can only make sense to at least give programs such as that in Portugal a try.

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