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Home > Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal

Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal [1]

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Forbes.com
Erik Kain [2], Contributor
7/05/2011 @ 3:09PM

Drug warriors often contend that drug use would skyrocket if we were to legalize or decriminalize drugs in the United States. Fortunately, we have a real-world example of the actual effects of ending the violent, expensive War on Drugs and replacing it with a system of treatment for problem users and addicts.

Ten years ago, Portugal decriminalized all drugs [3]. One decade after this unprecedented experiment, drug abuse is down by half [4]: Health experts in Portugal said Friday that Portugal’s decision 10 years ago to decriminalise drug use and treat addicts rather than punishing them is an experiment that has worked.

To read the rest of this story, visit Forbes.com [5]

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Source URL: //soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/ten-years-after-decriminalization-drug-abuse-down-half-portugal

Links
[1] //soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/ten-years-after-decriminalization-drug-abuse-down-half-portugal
[2] http://blogs.forbes.com/erikkain/
[3] http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10080
[4] http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g9C6x99EnFVdFuXw_B8pvDRzLqcA?docId=CNG.e740b6d0077ba8c28f6d1dd931c6f679.5e1
[5] http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/07/05/ten-years-after-decriminalization-drug-abuse-down-by-half-in-portugal/
[6] //soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/type-post/galactic-free-press/freedom-project