Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work?

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:47:41 GMT  <== Politics ==> 

Maia Szalavitz at Time.com - In 2001, Portugal abolished "all criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine." It has worked well for them. Drug use and HIV infection from dirty needles are down. The number of people seeking treatment for addiction has doubled. It would probably work in the US, too, but won't be tried, since drug prohibition here isn't about harm reduction, it's all about making money for the organized criminals inside and outside the government.

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