In Portugal, the war on drugs is being tackled with decriminalisation

Winning the War on Drugs: Once the ‘heroin capital of Europe’, Portugal decriminalised drugs twenty years ago. While local drug networks still operate, the country’s radical approach has made progress in the war on drugs.
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In 2001, Portugal became the first country in the world to decriminalise drug use. 'Decriminalising isn't the same thing as regulating or legalising, decriminalising means that we no longer treat it as a criminal offense, but it's still an illegal activity', explains Nuno Capaz, a Portuguese official. The emphasis in the country is on rehabilitation: 'if they don't charge you, they don't arrest you, they help your treatment. They try to convince you to go on a treatment program', says Tiago, a long-term drug user. He's explaining 'the dissuasion commission': when caught with drugs over a certain quantity, users must meet with social and health workers. 'In the past [drug users] were seen as people that should be in jail like criminals. And now they are seen like people that need help', explains one social worker.
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SBS Australia - Ref. 8092

[@TiffanyT-LaDolceVita]

What a nice life Jose has now. Perhaps this way of treating an addict instead of criminalizing is the way to go?

[@junekatana78]

Definitely.. For sure there would be a lot less problems.

[@Davidoff5185]

The whole point of criminalizing it is to prevent people from starting, not to help people already down the rabbit hole.

[@TiffanyT-LaDolceVita]

@@Davidoff5185 how well is that working?

[@LlibertarianGalt]

@@TiffanyT-LaDolceVita preach

[@danewing4658]

Well the way it has been done since the”war on drugs” started, is clearly not working. So why not try a different approach.

[@regrob16]

FYI I have never smoked anything including a cigarette and don't drink alcohol. With that said it makes absolutely no sense why drugs would be illegal. Why is the concept of leaving people alone so "radical"? Do we own our own body or not? If not people must think the government is the owner of the people. I know here in Georgia USA the only reason for things like this to be illegal is so the government can make money off of the very people who need it the most.

[@JKalama25799752]

Well in a Australia a lot of violent and armed robberies relate directly to drug abusers looking for money. As well as this, many hard addicts have violent public outbursts and cause harm to many innocent people while on a high. It’s not as black and white as leaving them alone, no one would have a problem with leaving them alone if they didn’t harm the community.

[@regrob16]

@@JKalama25799752 If they commit a crime harming someone else of course we have to deal that. Treatment would be way better use of tax payers money than jail. Under no circumstances should most people using drugs be treated as if they are harming other people. If that was the case alcohol and even some prescription drugs should be illegal too.

[@endel4385]

Drugs creates violence and heinous crimes. Watch and wait some uncontrollable freaks in influence of drugs rape , kill , steal. Ofc you can't control the abuse of this.

[@regrob16]

@@endel4385 Crime and violence is part of the human experience with or without drugs. The war on drugs is a crime against humanity. The war on drugs is also partly to blame for some of the violence associated with drugs. Look up what happened in any area where prohibition against alcohol was the law and you'll see exactly what I'm referring to.

[@endel4385]

@@regrob16 I grew up in slums of Caloocan , Philippines. Based in my own experience , You cannot change my mind how brutal these people are. They always act the tough guys that will randomly challenge passerbys with bolo and guns (crazy maniacs due to abuse of drugs). Now , We're safe. No gangs stacking in streets , selling drugs openly , riots , syndicates shooting , kidnapping of women and raping them , brutal salvage of unknown people that just dropped randomly in trashcans. Any related to drugs are considered dangerous.

[@clacicle]

Just think how many lives and how much money would be saved by doing this in other countries.

[@guleiro]

I remember the Lisbon of the 1980s where you had all areas full of drug addicts having their dose in the open . It was a massive problem. Today things are completely different... For better.

[@aboutthemetal8783]

This is a good start to dealing with the drug problems of the world. Legalisation, regulation and taxation are the only way forward.

[@dadikkedude]

That would be actually dealing with it instead of fighting, beating, intimidating, murdering, traumatizing your own citizens.

[@OrthodoxDAO]

I was always wondering how they managed to decriminalize inside the EU, and finally I know: it is still criminalized! Why can't they sell official, clean drugs to the users and eliminate drug crime?

[@LlibertarianGalt]

because Portugal is a heavily catholic country and likely has a lot of backlash for the legalisation of recreational use.

[@paulg3012]

Then all those jokers in uniform would be unemployed, not a coincidence the first bust was for some little weed dealer, while the usual suspects facilitate the river of heroin and cocaine they clear the way in for. Greed and corruption still reigns. They need to make cannabis completely legal and place booze and cancer sticks on the prohibited list and go after those traffickers.

[@barbadolid5170]

This is but a small first step, which is very laudable, but as you pointed out, not enough. Regulated, safe and taxed drug sales will eventually come, America's War in Drugs will stop being a worldly burden.

[@aregularperson7573]

I do think this is a good idea and should be implemented in the us but knowing how much money the government makes off of putting drug users in prison I won’t hold my breath

[@ethanalex8878]

Do you live in the US? If you do, you must be living under a rock. This is being implemented in the US. just look up LA, homeless, and Cartel. Your drug dealer will be your new parole officer. It's the hip and new decriminalization.

[@LlibertarianGalt]

@@ethanalex8878 California is not representative of the whole of the US

[@ethanalex8878]

@@LlibertarianGalt Who said that this is only happening in the US (www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/map/#fn[]=1200&fn[]=2600&fn[]=6400&fn[]=10200&fn[]=13400)? Keep in mind, this is with Covid-19 moratorium. When that is removed, the numbers will skyrocket. I just used California as an example. You can look and see the trending data or you can be naïve. I'm not trying to change your mind, just giving out facts.

[@shogun......]

exactly

[@auldreekie7768]

Take a look at what’s happened to Seattle, look up save the soul of Seattle

[@shysonofficial]

Ireland needs to copy some of these tactics as aposed to the criminalisation of drug users here and the huge waste of taxpayers money on putting small time users through the courts system, also to mention the damage stigma is doing to users availing of these drugs for medical reasons.

[@artomarto679]

Keep smoking that shamrock brother.. How will they fill the prisons if they don't go after the addicts and small time dealers

[@ajinkya1999]

The guy in thumbnail looks like walter jr. AKA Flynn 😂

[@zhoulin7690]

Why can’t the other countries can’t learn from portugués, the best way to fight the drug war, where millions of dollars are spent to control it instead of finding ways to help it, truly the best and honest way to solve the drug problem…..

[@gomes2151]

Why does pottery guy (with good English) have captions but Dr. Nuno doesn't?

[@PHlophe]

i don't understand what he is saying.

[@barbadolid5170]

Because Nuno has double the amount of teeth as Potter

[@maxasaurus3008]

So refreshing to hear those words coming from an administrator ❤

[@2001lextalionis]

2:00 radical approach ? pfft its not radical. Its practical and it works unlike the aussie system

[@Kruse1]

I don't know, that potter guy seems like a good advert for not doing drugs.

[@lucianene7741]

A potter who does pot, who would expect?

[@a_lucientes]

That's the point. He's the victim of a disease and should not be treated as a criminal just because of it. In the US, he would be imprisoned, just for holding or using, and that is what is indefensible.

[@avalondreaming1433]

He looks like hell.

[@pinchebruha405]

@@a_lucientes its the same reason then, for not allowing him to do them to begin with. stupid!

[@a_lucientes]

@@pinchebruha405 If only the world actually worked this way, it would be so simple. Unfortunately, outlawing something doesnt keep people from doing it. All it creates an area for crime to operate and a black market too grow. It takes worthless drugs and makes them as valuable as gold. Just look at the state of things today. That isnt the result of drugs but of prohibition.

[@jayjames7055]

"They like taking drugs." "Bastards."

[@halfnelson6115]

Pottery guy was born same year as me but he looks my father's age.

[@PHlophe]

That's why i tell my white side of the family to stay away from the sun. Now look what happened.

[@David-og7di]

pottery is a wearing profession

[@raidersofexploration6907]

Hopefully other countrys will treat drug use as a medical condition and not a crimal one.

[@Zhiivago]

But decades pass and very few countries are following this example, which is so unfortunate and devastating. Just tells us how deeply cemented stigma and plain ignorance is among the legislators and politicians. One such example is Sweden, the most coward of all narions. If it will ever will happen here it will be first after Norway and Denmark. Maybe then after a decade Sweden wil have the balls to change its policy.

[@kendallmorgan7493]

Well done!

[@markrymanowski719]

The drugs come from on high. Therefore, criminalising users is hypocracy.

[@kamilkarwat2706]

@19:00 that was some nasty looking marijuana. Looked more like something you would find growing in a ditch next to a highway.

[@shogun......]

good idea

[@equinox95]

Imagine working while a work colleague is on a crack pipe or shooting up....that's no way to start a shift😳.

[@danewing4658]

Just legalize ALL drugs. People are doing drugs anyway. Tax them and let ppl do what they want. Alcohol is just as bad or in some cases worse. It is strange that our leaders say that we can drink but cant do other things.

[@bye7451]

no one was attending his shop while he was gone whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat

[@alanomofo]

5 years for an ounce and a half of cannabis ?

[@ruiborges9372]

He would get the minimum, I thin the 5 years is the max pennalty for traffic.

[@PurplePerinaise]

So painful watching 2 people sharing a conversation wearing a fkin mask

[@Peace_Guard]

How big of a split personality can Portugal have? On the one hand user drug experience is decriminalized and they know best in the whole Europe that it's the right thing. On the other hand they pursue people selling the exact same substances as if it's a completely different thing rather than just the other side of the trade coin.

[@jeanlundi2141]

You'd have to legalize trade which is not easy to do for the population. Why split personality if no one else is doing it? It's just a step towards the right direction.

[@mareksicinski3726]

2:10 not very radical

[@KEMET1971]

Something is wrong if Thiago is only 50

[@turkrane12]

Legal systems around the world make big bucks from drug criminalization.

[@robertcloutier4633]

This should happen all over the world...You shouldn't have a war on your own people..Legalize, tax and regulate all drugs...Lock people up for violence..not addiction.

[@redthered585]

Wow 👏tbe Portuguese are amazing/superb human beings!!they genuinely care for humanity and its health

[@spainwelch5924]

Did you know Gary promised he would'nt FIRE ON ME if, I got into his hot tub naked. He said,"He did'nt want to commit murder. I said,"Good ,my boyfriend Bill,won't kick his ass AGAIN

[@livsnjutaresverige3802]

Should atleast go after the heroin/crack dealers. Arresting cannabis dealer in portugal is laughable

[@octaviolove]

The portugese seems to speak much better english than its neighbours Spain

[@barbadolid5170]

The difference is abysmal

[@ordoabchao3955]

Drug lords don't want legalization.

[@gomes2151]

19:58 _''Eshaw Gulaw''_

[@joejames6606]

Less people getting hucked in Portland

[@peter-el7ym]

How are the fentanyl and opiate deaths holding up? Love those Chinese, so original.

[@TheDKninja]

MICHELLE SO FINE

[@danewing4658]

Legalize and Tax

[@phillmaltese757]

Portugal should receive the Nobel prize every year for what they have done

[@hombrepobre9646]

here is the link happening in vancouver, if it works in portugal it should work in canada but it seems people in portugal are few than in canada, kzbin.info/www/bejne/pITKiIqAbMuib9E

[@rnunezc.4575]

Alcohol is worst than many other drugs and why is not criminalized ?... Drug addicts are victims not criminals the drug cartels are...and they are free to make money as alcohol and tobacco companies ...change all these and give youth more access to sports, outdoor activities, jobs and self steem .

[@remicaron3191]

So this is a great way to get very tainted drugs. How can you get quality drugs if everyone does drugs but no one can provide drugs. What a bunch of saints letting the poor do tainted drugs with no quality control. This is a crime against humanity. The world needs to let adults make adult choice and have quality control.

[@xue668]

Um rapaz que nem 30 anos deve ter na polícia de narcóticos? Quantas verdes serão precisas para comprar um menino do coro.

[@Hamish_888]

Do let them fool you. If you get caught with drugs in Portugal you are in deep trouble

[@mareksicinski3726]

when

[@jujub7829]

As a Portuguese and someone who knows people who are addicted to weed, you only get in trouble for selling drugs. It's not illegal if you have for your own use. In general drugs are illegal here but decriminalised.

[@user-dx2cj9hu2s]

Presenter Is fine 😂

[@peggysmith9895]

This is the way to treat addiction how can u criminalize a trauma response

[@deidradahl2802]

New drug use where I am from is all but non existent, we provide the addicts with free or for a small donation , the drugs of their choice round the clock, provide treatment, , to wean them, therefore all the drug dealers, not making any money have disappeared, after tying to intimidate us, our kids are told of the dangers at home, in school, in the clubs on their phones and on tv , no problem

[@wmacedo98]

Drugs are safe. The pottery guy should be the poster child of this campaign: He is only 50yo....but looks like he is 70. His appearance is the reflection of the state of his internal organs too.

[@LlibertarianGalt]

the campaign isn't saying all drugs are safe. it's about not treating people with mental health problems and addiction like criminals.

[@LlibertarianGalt]

Also Alcohol isn't safe yet every country in the west happily supplies that to people, taxed and regulated.

[@wmacedo98]

@@LlibertarianGalt government taxes alcohol, but people don’t realize the negative impact of it on themselves; it costs citizens billions of dollars every year: Liver cirrhosis, other health issues and deadly car crashes are only a couple to mention. The taxes charged by the government therefore do not cover the overall human self destruction and high cost to society that comes with the legalization of drugs in general. Mental hospitals or clinics obviously DO NOT work, but for a handful of people only. I don’t blame you for being hopeful though.

[@LlibertarianGalt]

@@wmacedo98 They do work just not when they're run by the state, like anything the state does, it's always a complete inept failure compared to private companies doing it. Some regulation is fine in terms of taxes to help people get health care but obviously prohibition doesn't work or we'd not still be neck deep in the war on drugs that has only gotten worse.. I appreciate your negativity around it but it's misguided and you're trying to control what people use to self medicate when prescription drugs can kill you and cause all those same problems and more. trying to control drugs has only made them more profitable for the black market to deal with. Has done nothing to curb drug use.

[@barbadolid5170]

Guys, let's just ban alcohol along with all the drugs, it is definitely going to work out well...

[@artomarto679]

I love visiting Lisbon it's like Amsterdam in the sun and a hella lot cheaper beers €2,mojito €4 and good coke€50 a g.. Oh don't worry about getting sorted as the taxi driver from the airport usually has everything you need

[@benstuart553]

im surprised how white everyone looks i thought portagese people looked more like mexicans. awesome job on the decriminalization guys

[@paulobarcelos3630]

In Portugal we are white and black nothing in between it's how we are we speak latin we the best beach in all Europe lots of sun skin adapter goes darker than the Winter time lol there we white again 😄

[@jeanlundi2141]

What a weird comment.

[@Hedofor]

You can smoke a few joints freely but only between mask exchanges... That gives a good measure of Portuguese liberties...

[@vickidianacoghlan8946]

I'm only for legalising pot. Heroin, speed, crack, coke, mdma. HELL NO!!!

[@boeingdriver29]

So you support organised crime making billions of profit annually from in the main cocaine and heroin trafficking ?

[@IF040020]

Pot makes people dumb.

[@babyblooddistilleriesinc3131]

Please note that Portugal hasn't legalized any drugs, it has merely decriminalized them. There is a big difference.

[@vickidianacoghlan8946]

@@IF040020 Right so heroin, crack, coke, speed, mdma, uppers, downers, fligs, etc increase your intelligence Mano. Is that what your saying?????

[@mareksicinski3726]

Do you want to send people who need rehab to prison? Do you think prison makes good rehab?

[@nicke1903]

In America kids was taught all about different drugs, The DARE Program created alot of users.

[@peter-el7ym]

Never be defeated ... except by sin. After all, what sum will a man give for his soul?

[@David-og7di]

same same price a priest pays for a crack at a choirboy

[@nkosimoyo6966]

i can smoke joints anywhere in the uk tho looool

[@doomguy510]

I love how this is bs

[@sethmartin9650]

people are going to do what they want to do, who is anyone to tell another they cant put something in their body

[@TheNLArthur]

Those stupid masks make me stop looking after 5 minutes 👎🏻

[@Frst2nxt]

Decriminalization never works.

[@boeingdriver29]

What evidence do you base your assertion on ?

[@Dabaz073]

@@boeingdriver29 ..... crickets = zero

[@boeingdriver29]

@@Dabaz073 exactly 👍

[@guleiro]

The present situation in Portugal disproves you statement.

[@babyblooddistilleriesinc3131]

Doesn't Portugal disprove your statement?

[@garyrayner6501]

Maddy who disappeared there, only to reappear in a phone shop in London with Sean stone a few years later, really highlights the rocky road to legalisation and the forces despatched against it. #totobytesback

[@David-og7di]

what???