> - The main public opinion driver for both the needle exchange programs and the decriminalization was a _massive_ Heroin epidemic There were politicians that

> - The main public opinion driver for both the needle exchange programs and the decriminalization was a _massive_ Heroin epidemic There were politicians that publicly spoke about their personal experiences. Others that had family members that were caught up with it. It was a widespread issue across all classes, not just the poor. Here's a recent interview about one of the main drivers of this policy (in Portuguese). https://www.perguntarnaoofende.pt/pno/joao-goulao https://www.perguntarnaoofende.pt/pno/joao-goulao