How Portugal Is Kicking its Heroin Habit

Back in the 1990s, Portugal faced a heroin crisis. Most people knew someone affected by the lethal drug. Just two decades later, the country has one of the lowest drug-related death rates in the world. This dramatic turnaround isn't credited to a hard-line approach, but instead by decriminalizing all drugs.
Fairbssays...

I really don't understand why drugs are illegal; you are primarily only hurting yourself

and say if you steal to get money for drugs or hurt someone while on drugs, there are laws already in place for those crimes

ChaosEnginesays...

Disclaimer: I am actually in favour of legalising drugs, but to answer your question....

The state does have a responsibility to protect you, even from yourself. Hence things like warning labels, etc.

Also, for most countries, there is a social and economic cost associated with drugs. Even leaving aside criminal activity (i.e. committing crimes to feed a drug habit), there is a cost for healthcare, lost productivity (heavy drug users are often unemployed) and in social welfare.

This is the same argument applied to increasing controls on smoking (taxes, plain packaging etc).

However, my main problem with all this is that it just doesn't work. The "war on drugs" is a total failure. People continue to use drugs.

Fairbssaid:

I really don't understand why drugs are illegal; you are primarily only hurting yourself

and say if you steal to get money for drugs or hurt someone while on drugs, there are laws already in place for those crimes

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