Decriminalizing Drugs Cuts Use in Half

Not only is the 50-year-old War on Drugs catastrophically expensive, self-destructive, counter-productive, anti-democratic and stupid, it's also now proven to be completely unnecessary.

Via Firedoglake:

Eleven years ago Portugal decriminalized all drugs. Trafficking in drugs is still illegal, but those found possessing and using appear before “legal experts, psychologists and social workers” who assess each individual situation and determine treatment and further action. Results: The number of addicts has now been halved; Portugal’s illegal drug usage rate is among the lowest of the EU countries.

Portugal's move to decriminalize does not mean people can carry around, use, and sell drugs free from police interference. That would be legalization. Rather, all drugs are "decriminalized," meaning drug possession, distribution, and use is still illegal. While distribution and trafficking is still a criminal offense, possession and use is moved out of criminal courts and into a special court where each offender's unique  situation is judged by legal experts, psychologists, and social workers. Treatment and further action is decided in these courts, where addicts and drug use is treated as a public health service rather than referring it to the justice system (like the U.S.), reports Fox News.

The resulting effect: a drastic reduction in addicts, with Portuguese officials and reports highlighting that this number, at 100,000 before the new policy was enacted, has been halved in the following ten years. Portugal's drug usage rates are now among the lowest of EU member states, according to the same report.

One more outcome: a lot less sick people. Drug related diseases including STDs and overdoses have been reduced even more than usage rates, which experts believe is the result of the government offering treatment with no threat of legal ramifications to addicts.

Fuckin' Yerpin commies - they can't do anything right.