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Then there is Portugal. Decriminalization of most drugs and instead of giving prison time they give treatment. >The argument was that the fear of prison drives
by Nadya 11y ago
Then there is Portugal. Decriminalization of most drugs and instead of giving prison time they give treatment.
>The argument was that the fear of prison drives addicts underground and that incarceration is more expensive than treatment — so why not give drug addicts health services instead?
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,0...
If you create a black market for something - it is often less regulated, more dangerous, and more criminal than what you are trying to ban.
- simplemath 11y agoparaphrasing an old adage: There's no money in the cure.
- the_watcher 11y agoPrison time for drug use alone is a waste of resources. Prison time for crimes committed while under the influence is probably necessary (not just politically, but the moral hazard offering "under the influence" as a way to reduce your punishment is a pretty bad incentive). A big problem is the difficulty in determining who is a "user" and who is a "distributor who uses." Not sure there is a good solution there, but a great start would be replacing incarceration for simple possession with treatment.