Ending The War On Citizens: How It Played Out In Portugal
Stossel blogs about the results of decriminalization of drugs 10 years ago in Portugal:
People predicted the country would spiral into chaos. So did that happen? No.Independent studies found that, after the drug law passed, the number of Portuguese who regularly do drugs stayed about the same. Problematic and youth drug use went down.
We spoke to a chief police inspector in Lisbon who was very dubious about decriminalization. But now he's a convert. He told us, "the level of conflicts on the street are reduced"..."drug related robberies are reduced"...and "now police are not the enemies of the consumers".
Adults in a free society should be able to ingest anything they want to, as long as they don't injure somebody else.
via @DrEades
The criminal "justice" system often does more damage to a drug user's life than drugs ever do.
Ken R at February 27, 2012 11:23 PM
So - when alcohol became legal in the USA, did use go up, down, or stay the same?
And when you say "legalized", what do you mean?
Radwaste at February 28, 2012 2:49 AM
Forget it. In the USA, too many people are just to damned puritanical. It goes together with the in-your-face religious zealotry of the whole country. For example: the only other countries where the leaders regularly mention god in their public speeches are the extremist Islamic countries.
If I mention the idea of drug legalization to my family, they look at me like I have totally flipped out. Mention that I think the government is out of control, and I am unpatriotic and anti-American.
Nope, this country will be continuing down the path of totalitarianism, being "holier than thou" all the while.
a_random_guy at February 28, 2012 5:02 AM
> People predicted the country would spiral into chaos. So did that happen?
If you define "chaos" as "cops no longer making $100k/yr, plus medical, plus golden retirement packages while getting to play macho soldier kicking in the doors of society's most unfortunate", then, yes, things have gone down hill.
...for the 0.1% of the population who got their jollies - and their unearned wealth - by being bullies.
Hey, hey, JBT,
how many dogs have you shot today?
TJIC at February 28, 2012 5:53 AM
My mom was ranting away last night on the phone about something she had heard somewhere - some group (ACLU?) that thinks prisoners should have the right to iPhones. In her mind, prison is where people should be punished, or at least made to work. It doesn't matter if they're bored, and this "rehabilitation" stuff is just a way to soak the taxpayers.
I would be much more sympathetic to her point of view of so many of the people in jail weren't harmless drug users. Let out all the people who haven't hurt anyone, cleanse their criminal records, and then let's look at who's left. Of course, that would create fewer prison jobs.
Pirate Jo at February 28, 2012 6:44 AM
Okay -- the day you can justify a $750,000 for a new soccer field at Guantanamo for the terrorists that are interned there, come talk to me.
A while back, I made a suggestion to a crowd of people that you have to pay at least $1 in income than you get back to have the franchise to vote the people that were from 25 to 65+ looked at me in horror.
I dropped the subject quickly.
Until we find a way to wean the recipient class off the dole, we're fucked.
Jim P. at February 28, 2012 8:24 PM
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