| Users Online Now: 1,323 (Who's On?) | Visitors Today: 247,538 | |
| Pageviews Today: 330,951 | Threads Today: 97 | Posts Today: 1,474 |
| 02:48 AM | ||
| Users Online Now: 1,323 (Who's On?) | Visitors Today: 247,538 | |
| Pageviews Today: 330,951 | Threads Today: 97 | Posts Today: 1,474 |
| 02:48 AM | ||
In 2001, Portugal decided to legalize hard drugs. This is what happened. (+Poll) | |
| Eden Offer Upgrade  User ID: 638592  Spain09/19/2009 12:15 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Portugal has legalized all drugs for personal use. This includes but is not limited to: Hash, Cocaine, Heroine, LSD, Mushrooms Guess what? Drug use has dropped sharply Drug related crime has practically dropped to 0% Drug related deaths down 70% Drug related HIV infection almost halved The list goes on and on [link to www.marijuanahealth.org] [link to www.brendastardom.com] [link to www.perthstreetbikes.com] [link to www.time.com] Highlight for the link impaired amongst you: Portugal, which in 2001 became the first European country to officially abolish all criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. At the recommendation of a national commission charged with addressing Portugal's drug problem, jail time was replaced with the offer of therapy. The argument was that the fear of prison drives addicts underground and that incarceration is more expensive than treatment — so why not give drug addicts health services instead? Under Portugal's new regime, people found guilty of possessing small amounts of drugs are sent to a panel consisting of a psychologist, social worker and legal adviser for appropriate treatment (which may be refused without criminal punishment), instead of jail. See the world's most influential people in the 2009 TIME 100. The question is, does the new policy work? At the time, critics in the poor, socially conservative and largely Catholic nation said decriminalizing drug possession would open the country to "drug tourists" and exacerbate Portugal's drug problem; the country had some of the highest levels of hard-drug use in Europe. But the recently released results of a report commissioned by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggest otherwise. The paper, published by Cato in April, found that in the five years after personal possession was decriminalized, illegal drug use among teens in Portugal declined and rates of new HIV infections caused by sharing of dirty needles dropped, while the number of people seeking treatment for drug addiction more than doubled. "Judging by every metric, decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success," says Glenn Greenwald, an attorney, author and fluent Portuguese speaker, who conducted the research. "It has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country does." Compared to the European Union and the U.S., Portugal's drug use numbers are impressive. Following decriminalization, Portugal had the lowest rate of lifetime marijuana use in people over 15 in the E.U.: 10%. The most comparable figure in America is in people over 12: 39.8%. Proportionally, more Americans have used cocaine than Portuguese have used marijuana. The Cato paper reports that between 2001 and 2006 in Portugal, rates of lifetime use of any illegal drug among seventh through ninth graders fell from 14.1% to 10.6%; drug use in older teens also declined. Lifetime heroin use among 16-to-18-year-olds fell from 2.5% to 1.8% (although there was a slight increase in marijuana use in that age group). New HIV infections in drug users fell by 17% between 1999 and 2003, and deaths related to heroin and similar drugs were cut by more than half. In addition, the number of people on methadone and buprenorphine treatment for drug addiction rose to 14,877 from 6,040, after decriminalization, and money saved on enforcement allowed for increased funding of drug-free treatment as well. Remind me again why drugs are illegal in the U.S.?  Last Edited by Eden on 09/19/2009 12:20 PM |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 12:25 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | The Cato Institute report on Portugal: [link to www.cato.org] From the intro: The report also sets forth the data concerning drug-related trends in Portugal both pre- and postdecriminalization. The effects of decriminalization in Portugal are examined both in absolute terms and in comparisons with other states that continue to criminalize drugs, particularly within the EU. Very interesting and highly recommended reading. |
| BillyX User ID: 774667  Australia09/19/2009 12:27 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 764070  United States09/19/2009 12:31 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 504249 United States09/19/2009 12:34 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Art Deco User ID: 473495 United States09/19/2009 12:37 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | This way, they can do like they do with alcohol and tobacco; they can tax it. Plus, they could also control quality, so every join was as fresh and potent as the last. The deficit would be eliminated in no time at all. In ten years we'll look back on this moment, laugh nervously, and quickly change the subject. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 690771 United States09/19/2009 12:40 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | If the administration is smart, which I've never accused them of, they'd legalize or decriminalize all drugs. Quoting: Art DecoThis way, they can do like they do with alcohol and tobacco; they can tax it. Plus, they could also control quality, so every join was as fresh and potent as the last. The deficit would be eliminated in no time at all. Never going to happen. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 774541 Australia09/19/2009 12:44 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 774249 United States09/19/2009 12:51 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 774661 Spain09/19/2009 12:56 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | One thing is personal possesion... Another thing is trafic of drugs... The first is allowed in some european countries. The second, NO(except well known exceptions). It´s a danger to the public health, and the state can´t make propaganda about the drugs, because unlike in your country, the health is PUBLIC. I don´t care if someone wants to smoke until his dead, I care if this someone tries to sell my son the drug. Respect, and you will be respected. |
| neteru<> User ID: 757570 United States09/19/2009 12:59 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | The potheads can never remember where they left the petitions. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 774249? excuse me but we have lobbyists in D.C. that probably never smoke. suit and tie, every day, because they believe it is the right thing to do. Mexico, now Portugal? are we starting to see a trend? Last Edited by caprichan on 09/19/2009 01:00 PM We have finally come back to the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus, who said everything is flow, flux, process. There are no "things." Bruce Lee |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 01:07 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Well yes, what about the fact that hard drugs are part of the control grid. Why is the U.S. in Afghanistan? Could it have something to do with the fact that Afghanistan produces 90% of the worlds Opium? (base for heroin). Could it also have something to do with the fact that after the CIA trained the Taliban, and they successfully took over in Afghanistan they started burning down the poppy fields? I would not be one bit surprised if 9/11 was a direct result of the U.S. losing control in Afghanistan, and the much needed drugs which fund their Black OPS. No-one remembers Iran-Contra unfortunately. |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 01:08 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 754773 United States09/19/2009 01:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 01:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 765939 United States09/19/2009 01:51 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Even with holding the insulin from a diabetic until he gave them money. A whole bunch of cops, too, not just a few. Drugs illegal? Not for the benefit of the people, that's for sure. |
| Southgaia User ID: 772929  Portugal09/19/2009 01:51 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 774661 Spain09/19/2009 01:54 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 01:55 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | It´s a danger to the public health Quoting: Anonymous Coward 774661So are: o Exhaust fumes o Spraying of the atmosphere o E-XXX chemicals in food o Aspartame o Fluoride o Soy o EM emitters for mobile networks o Alcohol o Tobacco o Caffeine o Mainstream Media & Big Pharma ...and they are all legal |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 01:57 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 01:58 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 762605 United States09/19/2009 02:06 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Portugal has legalized all drugs for personal use. Quoting: EdenThis includes but is not limited to: Hash, Cocaine, Heroine, LSD, Mushrooms Guess what? Drug use has dropped sharply Drug related crime has practically dropped to 0% Drug related deaths down 70% Drug related HIV infection almost halved The list goes on and on [link to www.marijuanahealth.org] [link to www.brendastardom.com] [link to www.perthstreetbikes.com] [link to www.time.com] Highlight for the link impaired amongst you: Portugal, which in 2001 became the first European country to officially abolish all criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. At the recommendation of a national commission charged with addressing Portugal's drug problem, jail time was replaced with the offer of therapy. The argument was that the fear of prison drives addicts underground and that incarceration is more expensive than treatment — so why not give drug addicts health services instead? Under Portugal's new regime, people found guilty of possessing small amounts of drugs are sent to a panel consisting of a psychologist, social worker and legal adviser for appropriate treatment (which may be refused without criminal punishment), instead of jail. See the world's most influential people in the 2009 TIME 100. The question is, does the new policy work? At the time, critics in the poor, socially conservative and largely Catholic nation said decriminalizing drug possession would open the country to "drug tourists" and exacerbate Portugal's drug problem; the country had some of the highest levels of hard-drug use in Europe. But the recently released results of a report commissioned by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggest otherwise. The paper, published by Cato in April, found that in the five years after personal possession was decriminalized, illegal drug use among teens in Portugal declined and rates of new HIV infections caused by sharing of dirty needles dropped, while the number of people seeking treatment for drug addiction more than doubled. "Judging by every metric, decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success," says Glenn Greenwald, an attorney, author and fluent Portuguese speaker, who conducted the research. "It has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country does." Compared to the European Union and the U.S., Portugal's drug use numbers are impressive. Following decriminalization, Portugal had the lowest rate of lifetime marijuana use in people over 15 in the E.U.: 10%. The most comparable figure in America is in people over 12: 39.8%. Proportionally, more Americans have used cocaine than Portuguese have used marijuana. The Cato paper reports that between 2001 and 2006 in Portugal, rates of lifetime use of any illegal drug among seventh through ninth graders fell from 14.1% to 10.6%; drug use in older teens also declined. Lifetime heroin use among 16-to-18-year-olds fell from 2.5% to 1.8% (although there was a slight increase in marijuana use in that age group). New HIV infections in drug users fell by 17% between 1999 and 2003, and deaths related to heroin and similar drugs were cut by more than half. In addition, the number of people on methadone and buprenorphine treatment for drug addiction rose to 14,877 from 6,040, after decriminalization, and money saved on enforcement allowed for increased funding of drug-free treatment as well. Remind me again why drugs are illegal in the U.S.? ok..... because billionaires want to remain billionaires? that is just for starters. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 761466 United States09/19/2009 02:28 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Funds for black projects in this country... how else are they going to build their deep hidey holes and underground bases for when the SHTF? 88 miles of underground tunnels alone beneath the Denver Airport? Records storage... my ass. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 761466 United States09/19/2009 02:30 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 771167 United States09/19/2009 02:30 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 03:31 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Fool User ID: 766303  Canada09/19/2009 03:37 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 03:54 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 774856 Portugal09/19/2009 04:31 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | No drugs are legal in Portugal, people just don't get arrested for carrying a small quantity for personal use. But no one got arrested before they made that law either. We have better things to do than build prisons to arrest people who like to smoke joints... The decrease in usage was with HEROIN but thats because even people who do hard drugs know not to mess with that shit anymore. Besides, the government buldozed all the places where Heroin addicts hang out or got the drugs. This law was the right thing to do, not because it made people consume less drugs but because it's no one's business wtf we do to our body, even if this shit was all about not having space in prisons anymore. |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 04:44 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | No drugs are legal in Portugal, people just don't get arrested for carrying a small quantity for personal use. But no one got arrested before they made that law either. We have better things to do than build prisons to arrest people who like to smoke joints... Quoting: Anonymous Coward 774856The decrease in usage was with HEROIN but thats because even people who do hard drugs know not to mess with that shit anymore. Besides, the government buldozed all the places where Heroin addicts hang out or got the drugs. This law was the right thing to do, not because it made people consume less drugs but because it's no one's business wtf we do to our body, even if this shit was all about not having space in prisons anymore. Sorry, you are wrong. Hard drugs for personal use are no longer outlawed as was the case pre-2001. They are now legal for personal use. All of them. This is what de-criminalizing means. Read the article and check the law change. Of course the numbers are great, they should be. And this is not because the "policed bulldozed all the places of the addicts" but because there is a vast program for voluntary assistance in place with substitutes and de-toxing facilities. I appreciate your input, but please keep it clean by sticking to the facts. |
| Eden (OP) User ID: 638592 Spain09/19/2009 07:33 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
