Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal
Erik Kain Contributor 7/05/2011 @ 3:09PM 419,929 views
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 .. http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10080 . One decade after this unprecedented experiment, drug abuse is down by half .. [error link] :
--- 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.
“There is no doubt that the phenomenon of addiction is in decline in Portugal,” said Joao Goulao, President of the Institute of Drugs and Drugs Addiction, a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the law.
The number of addicts considered “problematic” — those who repeatedly use “hard” drugs and intravenous users — had fallen by half since the early 1990s, when the figure was estimated at around 100,000 people, Goulao said.
Other factors had also played their part however, Goulao, a medical doctor added.
“This development can not only be attributed to decriminalisation but to a confluence of treatment and risk reduction policies.” ---
Many of these innovative treatment procedures would not have emerged if addicts had continued to be arrested and locked up rather than treated by medical experts and psychologists. Currently 40,000 people in Portugal are being treated for drug abuse. This is a far cheaper, far more humane way to tackle the problem. Rather than locking up 100,000 criminals, the Portuguese are working to cure 40,000 patients and fine-tuning a whole new canon of drug treatment knowledge at the same time.
Shift-workers and prescription drug users can be as 'impaired', and so as dangerous on roads as those just over legal limits of alcohol. No doubt in my mind whatever the condition of the driver the paramount factor, and bottom line, is ATTITUDE. Defensive driving works.
About 3 weeks ago, my family and I went on a trip to Pembrokeshire, West Wales. During the trip, Ben Howard released his new record "The Burgh Island EP"
After hearing this EP, I knew straight away that I wanted to use one of the songs and really try and visualize how the songs capture the darkness of winter, and the trip itself. This is what I came up with.
DIRECTED BY: Harvey Pearson SONG: Oats In The Water - Ben Howard
~~~ for mine, there is nothing more peaceful than being in the middle of a silent, and mirror-like ocean .. lol .. with porpoises about, if lucky, too ..
BEN HOWARD LYRICS
"Oats In The Water"
Go your way, I'll take the long way 'round, I'll find my own way down, As I should.
And hold your gaze There's coke in the Midas touch A joke in the way that we rust, And breathe again.
And you'll find loss And you'll fear what you found When weather comes Tearing down
There'll be oats in the water There'll be birds on the ground There'll be things you never asked her Oh how they tear at you now
Go your way, I'll take the long way 'round, I'll find my own way down, As I should.
And hold your gaze There's coke in the Midas touch A joke in the way that we rust, And breathe again.
And you'll find loss And you'll fear what you found When weather comes Tearing down
There'll be oats in the water There'll be birds on the ground There'll be things you never asked her Oh how they tear at you now
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
