Portugal legalizes drugs. Crime/Usage falls.

"The apocalypse never happened" as some predicted when the country of Portugal decriminalized ALL illegal drugs eight years ago. The country did NOT become a haven for drug use, and drug abuse & drug crime actually FELL.

• Category

  News & Politics

[André Nogueira]

i dint understand that!!!! in portugal drugs are not legal

[BI30]

My apologies. As I've explained here a dozen times before, the term "decriminalized" was too long for the full title to appear in searches, so it was shortened to "legalized".

[André Nogueira]

whats the different between legalize and descriminalize?

[BI30]

If you decriminalize drug "use", the drugs themselves are still illegal, but the punishment is only a fine or rehabilitation, not jail. If you "legalize" drugs, they can be sold in stores, mass marketed, even used as an ingredient in other products.

[BI30]

"Murder" is not a victimless crime. And your "police" comment is a total non-sequiture.

[FuuKwon]

too bad that shit didnt save amy winehouse

[Elvio Neto]

now i know why i never got arrested... i used to smoke haxixe and Marijuana every day when i was younger and never got problems... not in school or in the streets... only got problems with my mother she didnt like the smoke in home, funny i didnt know this about Portugal becouse we dont speak about... im Portuguese and this news are real "NEWS" to me :) one thing i know is there is no age to smoke or drink in Portugal! never was! the only age problem is to drive a car you need 18 years old!

[Miguel Forster]

essencialmente se nao formos dealers tamos safos, é só ir ao psicologo umas vezes. em maior parte dos paises apanham-te com uma ou 2 gramas de erva e vais de cana ..

[André Nogueira]

ty!

[BI30]

Oops, didn't mean Spain. I know the difference. Just wasn't paying attention.

[124cts]

Spain? You mean Portugal, the country right next to Spain and does have nothing to do with Spainish. God...

I understand your point perfectly, but it sents the wrong message and taking into account that the proper reporter says that heroin addicts will never go to jail... I hope the World look at my country and take this facts as solutions, despite we already have the Netherlands exemple, where criminality is one of the lowest of Europe and several prisons closed for lack of crimes since 2008 :)