How Portugal Successfully Decriminalized Drugs [Infographic]

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Via: Rehab Info

Should the United States decriminalize drug possession and focus more on treatment than punishment?

The experience of Portugal since it decriminalized drugs in 2001 shows lower levels of drug use among teens, and the lowest rate of marijuana use in the EU.

By 1998, about 60 percent of arrests for drug offenses in Portugal were for possession and use — most were not for sales of drugs. Overcrowded jails and the price of incarceration versus treatment are just a couple of reasons why a country might consider decriminalizing drugs.

Other motivations include increased availability of treatment and even a decrease in drug use. Portugal decriminalized drugs more than 10 years ago.

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