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We lost the war on drugs
We need to do something different
Portugal has had the best results
Between 1998 and 2011, the number of people in drug treatment increased by more than 60 percent (from approximately 23,600 to roughly 38,000). Over 70 percent of those who seek treatment receive opioid-substitution therapy, the most effective treatment for opioid dependence.
The number of new HIV diagnoses dropped dramatically – from 1,575 cases in 2000 to 78 cases in 2013 – and the number of new AIDS cases decreased from 626 in 2000 to 74 cases in 2013 (in a country of just over 10 million people).
Drug overdose fatalities dropped from about 80 in 2001 to just 16 in 2012.
The Health Ministry estimates that only about 25,000 Portuguese use heroin, down from 100,000 when the policy began.
The percentage of people behind bars in Portugal for drug law violations has decreased dramatically, from 44 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2013.
The percentage of people arrested and sent to criminal court for drug possession declined by 60 percent.
The Portuguese Health Ministry spends less than $10 per citizen per year on its successful drug policy. Meanwhile the US has spent some $10K per household (more than $1 trillion total) over the decades on a failed drug policy that results in more than 1,000 deaths each week.
Perhaps most significantly, by removing the threat of criminal penalties, Portugal took away the fear and stigma associated with seeking treatment. Now those who need treatment come to it voluntarily – and are more likely to succeed as a result.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
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