5 ms·

> The overdose rate is starting to really spike again From 50 deaths skyrocketing up to 70 deaths. This is the kind of spike the US dreams about. The stats y

> The overdose rate is starting to really spike again From 50 deaths skyrocketing up to 70 deaths. This is the kind of spike the US dreams about. The stats you link to do a pretty good job of countering the pORtIgaL iS ON dRUg FIrE narrative. When compared with the rest of Europe, Portugal has a fairly low incidence of drug deaths. So thanks for posting them.

mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago
It's a significant spike at 40%. But my guess is that this is due to the market being flooded with ultra potent opioids right now. Decriminalisation can't really prevent that, unfortunately. Only legalisation and regulation will.
martinald 3y ago
That's not my point. The point is the trend is going the wrong way recently after dropping so sharply after decriminalization. I am/was in favour of that - it is clearly a healthcare problem; not a criminal justice problem. However, I think it is still a big and growing problem regardless of where you sit on that spectrum, which has sharply been brought into focus with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids (which are themselves a byproduct of 'the war on drugs' in many ways, but the genie is out of the bottle now with them). I found the article I was meaning to find - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-drugs-decriminalization-heroin-crack/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-dru...
- mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago
  It's possible to put the genie back in the bottle with legalisation, I think. Other than a very small minority I know of that actively seeks them out, most opioid addicts are using fentanyl and other microgram potency opioids because that just happens to be what's available. Which is directly because the production and distribution side of things is unregulated.
- orwin 3y ago
  I think you gave the big part of the reason why,its fentanyl. I've heard that the quality of care decreased, but fentanyl would explain an increment in fatalities if the total consumption do not increase.

mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago

It's a significant spike at 40%. But my guess is that this is due to the market being flooded with ultra potent opioids right now. Decriminalisation can't really prevent that, unfortunately. Only legalisation and regulation will.

martinald 3y ago

That's not my point. The point is the trend is going the wrong way recently after dropping so sharply after decriminalization. I am/was in favour of that - it is clearly a healthcare problem; not a criminal justice problem. However, I think it is still a big and growing problem regardless of where you sit on that spectrum, which has sharply been brought into focus with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids (which are themselves a byproduct of 'the war on drugs' in many ways, but the genie is out of the bottle now with them). I found the article I was meaning to find - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-drugs-decriminalization-heroin-crack/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-dru...

mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago
It's possible to put the genie back in the bottle with legalisation, I think. Other than a very small minority I know of that actively seeks them out, most opioid addicts are using fentanyl and other microgram potency opioids because that just happens to be what's available. Which is directly because the production and distribution side of things is unregulated.
orwin 3y ago
I think you gave the big part of the reason why,its fentanyl. I've heard that the quality of care decreased, but fentanyl would explain an increment in fatalities if the total consumption do not increase.