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Decriminalization of drugs in Portugal didn't result in reduced drug use. It resulted in significant reduced heroin use among youth (which was also reduced in t
by xyzzyz 8y ago
Decriminalization of drugs in Portugal didn't result in reduced drug use. It resulted in significant reduced heroin use among youth (which was also reduced in the same time period in other countries that didn't decriminalize it), but that reduction was more than made up by increased rate of use of other drugs by the youth, especially ecstasy.
In the general Portugal population, since the decriminalization, cannabis use is increased, heroin use decreased (thought much less than it decreased among the youth, which means that it likely increased in older groups), cocaine use is increased, amphetamine use is basically the same, LSD use is increased, ecstasy use is increased, and hallucinogenic mushroom use is increased.
If drug decriminalization in Portugal led to increased total drug use, and increased heroin use among people over 35, why exactly you believe that doing the same in the US would solve any problems here?
- adrianN 8y agoUse increased, but did the problems associated with it increase or decrease? Taking drugs is not terrible in itself (except for your health and your wallet I guess), but the associated organized crime does a lot of harm.
- rmdashrfstar 8y ago>Taking drugs is not terrible in itself (except for your health and your wallet) Gee, I wonder if this is the reason why people say drugs are terrible?
- adrianN 8y agoSmoking tobacco is also terrible for your health, but we don't jail people for doing it.
- Scoundreller 8y agoOne should compare against other countries that didn’t change their laws. Increased use could be explained by increased availability that is independent of legality (eg: better smuggling routes or larger synthetic batches). Anyways, reduced opiate use and increased use of the other drugs mentioned generally sounds like a win to me. I’d also consider more widespread recreational use by previous non-users. I’m not sure if that’s a problem for the lower-dependence risk drugs mentioned.
- xyzzyz 8y agoIn Germany, which didn't change its laws, prevalence of drug use fell during the same period. Also note that it's significantly reduced opiate use among youth (15-34 y.o.): total opiate use only went down a little, which means that it likely has increased among people over 35. Point is, even if overall drug problems decreased in Portugal (which is not clear to me at all, since total drug use increased), evidence that it's the decriminalization that helped, is flimsy at best.