Portugal's alternative response to drug addiction sparks global interest • FRANCE 24 English
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ม.ค. 2023
- While many European countries are struggling to tackle a rise in drug trafficking and drug use, some are looking to Portugal for inspiration on how to successfully reform their judicial and medical response. In July 2001, Portugal decriminalised the personal use and possession of all illegal drugs. Twenty years later, the country has become an example to the rest of the world, showing that avant-garde reforms can reap results. Drug users are no longer treated as criminals, but rather as patients. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Jack Colmer Gale.
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Help, not judgement. We must protect the marginalized.
What a sensible approach. "Dissuasion Commission" leaving people aware of risks, drug use and deaths down, adapting to new drugs. Kudos to Portugal!
Portugal is an example for every nation. Punishment is not a solution. Informing, raising awareness and treatment are the foundations of a solid support system to change and reduce hard drugs usage. Great display of CIVILITY 🇵🇹 Europe and the world needs more sensible and rational models to approach addiction. Human rights are the FOUNDATION of modern CIVILISATIONS and need to be respected, addiction is a health issue, not a criminal offence.
@@joexavier4070Traffic and dealing is heavily criminalized, though.
You got that, didn't you?
the right approach!!! Well done Portugal ✊🏻
All that matters is results
This is an amazing program. More people around the world should learn from this.
Fantastic....this should be adopted throughout the EU
No it should not. There is nothing more complex in parameters than environment. Anyone who has ever bought a home will know that. Research, research and then you can take decisions
3 cheers for Portugal.
Europeans are way ahead of America. We still have such a problem and Portugal is 10 steps ahead of us. Keep going!
What? The US has been doing this for decades.
@@lavinder11edical-social follow-up has to go hand in hand with decriminalization
It must not be easy in the USA, if there are still diabetics who cannot afford insulin...
@mariajoaofmd6698 Drug addiction is incredibly hard in the US because nearly everything is laced with fentanyl. Also, I'm not sure what news media you watch about the US, but even homeless folks can get insulin for free.
@@lavinder11 Certainly, insulin is provided free of charge to people who are uninsured and meet income eligibility requirements.
I'm talking about people I know who work and have insurance and count pennies to buy insulin, not to mention other basic health needs.
Anyway, I have no doubt that the Portuguese approach to the drug problem would not work without some adaptations, since it seems to be a completely different scenario. Not to mention uninsured
What America needs to learn from Portugal is mainly keeping traditional family values because in this process the addict problem is a family problem and everybody is involved as support during rehab and post rehab.
Your families in America are broken and that's one of the reasons for so much addiction and homelessness. I see so many young adults estranged from the family it's harrowing!
Portugal had a tsunami of opioid addiction because we were a very naive society about drugs and many fell for the trap, but once we opened our eyes we put the brakes on it as a no-nonsense society.
From what I see in the media and social media, the main reasons why American families are broken is due to religious zealotry, cultural wars, politics and conspiracy theories.
Parents in America see their children as property, we don't in Portugal. Children are individuals and are free to believe or not in religion, make their own political choices, we have no inclination for lunatic conspiracy theories nor for alphabet ideology. We're too poor and overworked for that shallow crap.
Quit the toxic religiousness and politics, get out of Telegram, Truth Social and Facebook, quit the alphabet lunacy and since you are at it the racism too, on both sides, white and black. You're all americans, not hyphenized americans.
Quit the crap and fix yourselves. You're rotting from the inside and it won't end well.
This is a good, respectable, realistic approach that on the one hand allows addicts to maintain their dignity as human beings and on the other hand dramatically reduces crime (needed for getting a fix) in the society.
...Clearly a Win-Win situation!
Win- win for drug dealers too. No risk of jail, no risk of buyers going to jail. That equals more drugs on the streets for addicts to obtain and potentially overdose. Gotta look at all aspects realistically.
@@eriklarson4082 did you see the video? ...I am referring to the Methadon treatment program that replaces the need for buying expensive drugs from criminal dealers, making them the dealers richer and turning the addicts into criminals that need to sponsor their next fix.
@@eriklarson4082 personal consumption is not treated as a crime, but traficking and selling is.
@@eriklarson4082You have the attention span of a gold fish and got everything wrong.
Traffic and dealing is heavily criminalized, smooth brain.
@@eriklarson4082Portugal has one of the lowest opioid addiction in the world due to this strategy, chump.
Pay attention before you start typing moronic stuff.
This is what it looks like when the war on drugs ends, and the help of humans begins 💚👍🏽
I live in Quebec, Canada. I hope we eventually get there. Ive been trying everything.
Very impressive... I hope Canada 🇨🇦 takes interest
Well done Portugal
Sensible policy 👍
If only America could follow in the footsteps of Portugal 🇵🇹
Hey, Portland already follow the similar footsteps. The city is still worse tho.
@@unspecifiedvirusofunknownr2931not really. They didn't do the important part of talking care of humans. America is a disgusting place that thinks you should just die.
like a gentle father mother , nice its our problem !!
Does methadone work against fentanyl addiction?
I wonder if the success in reducing opioid usage can be replicated in other places.
Depends. It won't work in woke sensitive societies.
Addicts must be told the harsh truth, not get a tap in the shoulder, fall into victimhood and must take responsability for the situation they got themselves into.
Rehab centers can't be fancy, they must be tough so addicts dread the idea of returning in case of relapse.
Helping is better than hurting. Drugs are like a hug from a best friend you never had, but these people need to be pulled away from that best friend because they are getting them into trouble.
Done in The Netherlands long time ago already
Indeed! Even though not new -that is a necessity for the press presentation- big cheers for Portugal!
yes, it's just that Portugal was the first country to decriminalise the possession and consumption of all illicit substances, and it's working, that's why they go to the Portuguese as the example.
And here I thought they were going to say offering cherry wine in chocolate cups!
Why wouldn't we? It's delicious😋😁
Addiction hits all families no matter one's socal economic class? Also having nursing staff bring the needed drugs to the addict on the street, is a great idea. And If methadone helps people stay off illegal drugs, it's a good thing, however it comes down to.."how bad does the addict want to stay off heroin and become a productive citizen of their community"? Congratulations to the people staying clean..
There's similar programs in several European countries for decades actually.
Portugal was the first country in the world to decriminalize the use of ALL drugs in 2001 (22 years ago) That's the main difference.
Other countries have the programs but people still face criminal charges. Rehab was often presented as an option to jail.
In the Netherlands this has been going on for many years, nothing new…
yes, it's just that Portugal was the first country to decriminalise the possession and consumption of all illicit substances, and it's working, that's why they go to the Portuguese as the example.
@@misssuri2628 no it was the netherlands
@@hvanderp578 The Netherlands? I think you just smoke something bad. Most drugs are illegal there. And maybe only cannabis is "tolerated" in specific "coffeeshops". The so called "gedoogbeleid" or something like that.
Take care of your health and check your substances or change the dealer. It seem that you need it.
@@estranhokonsta 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Netherlands right now is the drug nation in Europe. People go there to experiment. We aren't competing against the Netherlands, rather we grabbed all the information we had at the time, tried it and improved the system, and quickly dealt with an issue that was ruining our society. Drugs are still illegal here, just not criminalized. Dealers are prosecuted, and consumers are supported.
Methadone distribution from pharmacies has been done in Ontario, Canada (perhaps throughout Canada) for many years.
The Portuguese are doing more than just that.
It's not what you are doing but how you are doing it.
@@RobespierreThePoof This story makes Portugal's efforts seem more ahead of the pack than it actually is. This makes the story more interesting. For years the Western world has cut back on criminalizing drug addictions. If you really want to get a fuller picture, you can start with searching the website, "European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction"
This is not abour methadone distribution policies this is about the decriminalization of ALL use of drugs since 2001, Portugal being the first country in the world doing it.
This piece is simply showing the other policies implemented like distribution of methadone for ex heroin addicts.
It worked well for 15 years.
Than, not anymore.
There’s nothing wrong with America’s war on drugs. It’s working the way it was intended too.
they do that in switzerland for 30 years
😂😂😂😂 WAS ????
Depends,sometimes prison can save ur life
Yes, tax narcotics, and use those taxes for investment in public services
That's not how it works. Traffic and dealing is heavily criminalized, usage is not.
Addicts get rehab and a job afterwards, dealers and traffickers get the slammer for many years so mfkers learn not to poison their own people.
Throwing humans in a cage for addiction problems is abhorrent and a stain on the human race. Our most vulnerable are treated worse than livestock...
Y do sell zimovane sleep tablets
👏 👏 👏 👏
🇵🇹 ✌ 💟
Legalise the drugs. My body, my choice.
Yeah, take one trophy 🥇
Blah blah,drugs kills
Drugs aren't legal in Portugal. You got it wrong.
@@truthismycause2800he said legalize drugs, no one said nothing about it being legal weirdo
@@Daswassuphomie Weirdo is the man you call a father and your mother smirks about it because she knows...
There is an epedemy hapening drugs almost free liberated and lots of junkies and more and more.
Where? Not in Portugal for sure. Those days are long gone.
From leaders in the slave trade to leaders in drug rehabilitation
You'd be surprised what other assumptions you have about Portugal and our people based on the idea we once participated in slave trade and colonization (you know, like most big european nations back then) that would surprise you.
@@jeanlundi2141 no Brasiíl até hoje existe escravidão.
,😅 Nada de novo .
Your imaginary traumas are showing. Get a therapist.
A step in the right direction...
I don’t think they’re doing quite the same thing in Oregon or Washington St. Methadone has been around for decades and is much harder to quit and more destructive to the body than heroin unless the heroin is cut with poison. They didn’t really say how they deal with crack or meth. I don’t think they pass those out, but maybe I missed that part.
OK but to be fair the video just says some states have "taken inspiration from" Portugal, not that they are doing 'the same thing ".
the current approach outside of WA or OR is to imprison drug users and well that isn't helping either.
@@danarchist74 No, this is the approach all over the US and it's yielded disastrous results. In NYC, there are even "harm reduction" shooting galleries where they can have their drug of choice right next to public schools. Again, disastrous results.
@@danarchist74 I disagree, I know several clean addicts who are now grateful they went to prison and came out clean. they changed their lives and now have 5-15 years clean. So sometimes rock bottom is prison. How about we build a prison for addicts who commit crimes and even if they don't stay clean, we've kept them off the streets. We can make it condusive to recovery not punishment and depending on their crimes determines how much time.
@@lavinder11 you have ZERO idea what harm reduction is and how severely underfunded it is compared to the money policing in not just NYC (which spends more on policing than a majority of countries) but every major city in the US.
Why are they still wearing masks?
The one problem is that it makes it very easy for drug dealers to not get caught and make tons of money from selling illegal drugs with no risk of jail.
Consumption is not a crime here anymore, but smuggling, trafficking/selling still is.
Quite the opposite. Traffic and dealing is heavily criminalized and the more addicts recovered the less money dealers make.
Stop speculating about stuff you know nothing about, old man.
In Portugal, before the Harm Reduction approach, the Ministry of Justice was spending money on catching and arresting Dealers and Users.
Now, it no longer spends money on going after the Users, and can apply that extra money on going after the Dealers.
This is a drug dealers paradise.
No. Im portuguese so I know what I'm talking about, if you're caught by the police with more drugs than what you would consume in a day you are arrested. They don't arrest consumers, but they do arrest drug dealers
Consumption is legal. Dealing is a felony.
Have a nice day
Drug dealers can be jailed for 5 ,years.
You're not very smart and your attention span is the one of a gold fish.
Traffic and dealing is heavily criminalized, comsuption is decriminalized but addicts are pushed into rehab instead of going to prison where they become more skilled criminals and cost more to the taxpayers than rehab, plus the social cost and traumas with broken families and children raised without parents is greatly reduced.
Get an education and stop talking about stuff you know nothing about.
the Netherlands have been doing this since 1981 .
so nothing new about this, but good on you Portugal.
Not true, the dutch never decriminalised all drugs, and the best example is that Netherlands is losing the war against drugs and becoming the European drugs supermarket where all the Turkish and Albanian mafias do whatever they want and control all drugs
yes, it's just that Portugal was the first country to decriminalise the possession and consumption of all illicit substances,
Terrible... I still live nearby this area and since the 90's the situation didn’t improve that much. It's only disguised. Criminals in jail cost way more, so if they are on the street without committing bigger crimes it's all good.. The dealers profit and the average working taxpayer pays for all these programs. This is not helping to improve the live of a drug user. Only prolonging and helping them to use more.
I think your claims might be disproven by looking at actual statistics.
@@RobespierreThePoof come to Alcantara, live in Portugal for a while and you will understand the statistics.
@@Xmundos I am from Portugal and I can tell you it has worked
@@mindob766 Também sou Português e vivendo em Alcântara posso garantir que não resultou. Basta passar diariamente na avenida de Ceuta, ver o número crescente de adictos (especialmente depois do COVID) debaixo dos viadutos e casas abandonadas.
@@Xmundos mesmo assim sao menos do q eram nos anos 2000
I'm very skeptical of this upbeat report. Let us see some hard data. Results are always mixed.
This program is in place since the 2000s, didn't started yesterday, the results are so clear
@@luistheserrano4785 Where are the numbers? What was measured?
@@SBCBears I am from Portugal and I can tell you it worked
Is not the best, but is something
@@SBCBearsWe went from having almost 10% of the population hooked on opioids to having one of the lowest opioid addiction rates in the developed world.
How's that for results?
Decriminalisation of drug use is legal, selling, distributing and trafficking is still illegal. If people can't get their fix at the government, they'll turn to cartel. What Portugal decreases is violence relating to drug, people are still taking drugs in Portugal. A broken society where the state has to fund massive rehabilitation service nonetheless.
Portugal understood something simple: is a health issue. Drugs are more destructive, but many people have addictions: gambling, binging, gaming, alcohol, even some people are addicted to work.
Wanting or not, drugs will be around for decades, centuries maybe. Until it is eradicated, if ever, there is the need to help those that fell into addiction. Going cold turkey can help in some cases, but in most leads to bounce back to consuption in a short time.
All we can do, is try help them control their addiction, and little by little reduce the use. Here in Portugal people are allowed small doses (sometimes provided by drug support centers under regulation) that allow the patient to consume for a few days, strictly at home or on one of the centers. Is not perfect, but is better than foaming and overdosing on the streets. And in most cases, leads to the parient to eventually decide to stop taking drugs (after that comes withrawal, ofc, that is treated with small doses of methadone).
You don't know what you're talking about.
Portugal now and for over a decade has one of the lowest opioid addiction rates in the developed world.
Portugal isn't a broken society. Where did you get such ignorant idea?
Triple the price, go home.