--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavisma...@...> wrote: > > . . . on the decriminalization of street drugs in Portugal. > > > In the face of a growing number of deaths and cases of HIV linked to drug > abuse, the Portuguese government in 2001 tried a new tack to get a handle on > the problemit decriminalized the use and possession of heroin, cocaine, > marijuana, LSD and other illicit street drugs. The theory: focusing on > treatment and prevention instead of jailing users would decrease the number > of deaths and infections. > > Five years later, the number of deaths from street drug overdoses dropped > from around 400 to 290 annually, and the number of new HIV cases caused by > using dirty needles to inject heroin, cocaine and other illegal substances > plummeted from nearly 1,400 in 2000 to about 400 in 2006, according to a > report released recently by the Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C, > libertarian think tank. > > > Full article at: http://snipurl.com/fxzdt >
"Drug legalization removes all criminal penalties for producing, selling and using drugs; no country has tried it. In contrast, decriminalization, as practiced in Portugal, eliminates jail time for drug users but maintains criminal penalties for dealers. Spain and Italy have also decriminalized personal use of drugs and Mexico's president has proposed doing the same. ." Its interesting that they did not legalize it -- as I had misread the above post. By making the supply side illegal, supply is reduced, keeping prices artificially high -- with the primary, and most negative effect of illegal drugs --- at many levels it funds criminal cartels and reactionary / terrorist groups. (not at all levels, your local indoor pit grower is not part of a crime syndicate and is oly making a buck) Legalization of supply would stop the mexican drug wars overnight. And the drug money funding corrupt political systems would stop. And the Taliban, al-quada and all would would not obtain massive funding from the opium trade. And prisons would lose half their inmates -- and the released would not receive their on-going first class education in the skills of crime. In the time of tight budgets, why not take a huge slice out of military, prison, state dept (having to deal with corrupt drug funded regimes), police and homeland security budgets by legalizing drugs. Yes, we will continue to have crack moms and other horror stories, but the incidence I view would go down dramatically with increased funding (from the above savings) of drug education and rehabilitation (if needed). Its not like current policies have reduced crack moms, etc. And if those who seek or are driven to self-medicate, having more variety would help them choose drugs more suited to their needs, not have to rely on crack because its cheaper and more available. Perhaps have a license to use drugs. Requiring taking several courses on effects, dangers, getting at and healing core motivations to need and take drugs. The article notes decriminalization in Spain. I know its that way with pot, but is it for all drugs? Turq, seen any effects of such policies in Spain?
