Quote:The political consensus in favor of decriminalization is unsurprising in light of the relevant empirical data. Those data indicate that decriminalization has had no adverse effect on drug usage rates in Portugal, which, in numerous categories, are now among the lowest in the EU, particularly when compared with states with stringent criminalization regimes. Although postdecriminalization usage rates have remained roughly the same or even decreased slightly when compared with other EU states, drug-related pathologies — such as sexually transmitted diseases and deaths due to drug usage — have decreased dramatically. Drug policy experts attribute those positive trends to the enhanced ability of the Portuguese government to offer treatment programs to its citizens — enhancements made possible, for numerous reasons, by decriminalization.
This is interesting, although it's a hard argument. You can see why decriminalisation would work in many basic areas. The Australian Greens have been advocating this for years - not for drugs to be made legal, but just decriminalised in order for the addicts to get the drugs they need legally in conjunction with treatment programs.
Our government would put this in the too hard basket. Many would look at how alcohol has become the number 1 killer, and by decriminalising drugs - they could end up in first place.
We rarely hear about drug statistics through our media these days. There used to always be some anti-drugs campaign going. We don't know how many people are dying of Aids in Australia nor how bad the drug scene really is anymore.
I'll send those links off to the Greens representative in my area.
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Decriminalisation of ALL drugs:Portugal experience (Read 3704 times)
