Based on the timeline I would suppose it is related with the massive financial crisis that Portugal plunged in that time period, culminating in the 2011 bailout

Based on the timeline I would suppose it is related with the massive financial crisis that Portugal plunged in that time period, culminating in the 2011 bailout. At least as far as it can be observed from my first hand perspective most homicides in Portugal are passional in nature: mostly conjugal but many derived from disputes between neighbors or rival groups. It is very rare to see drug motivated murders. One thing that is very clear in these past 10 years in here is that decriminalization allied with social and medical intervention by the government (needle exchange programs, methadone clinics) had two very visible effects in the drug use dynamic in this country, one direct and one indirect. The direct one was to reduce the risk of death and disease among the drug user population. HIV among this group was reduced in 30% [1] for instance. The second effect was indirect. The drug of choice and most problematic (considered an epidemics in the end of the 20th century) was heroin. But as the government started to treat people the drug lost its mistic of a rebellious and dangerous pleasure and became a "hobo drug" for a few poor toxicodependents that depend on the government for their next fix. And that change of perception is (IMO) responsible for the rapid decline of heroin use that followed this policy. All things considered I believe most portuguese see the effects of the decriminalization as a positive thing and, at worst, it had no negative effect in the health of the overall society. [1] http://www.dn.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=4306726 http://www.dn.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=43... (in Portuguese)