Decriminalization of Drug Use in Portugal

The Development of a Policy

Dados Bibliográficos

ID9749360
AutoresMirjam Van Het Loo (autor correspondente), Ineke Van Beusekom, James P Kahan (RAND Europe)
Ano2002
Volume582
Fascículo1
Páginas49-63
Data de publicação2002-07-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoThe Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0002-7162 • E-ISSN: 1552-3349
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/000271620258200104
OpenAlexW2129222649
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas15

Drug use is an increasing problem in Portugal. In response, following the advice of a select committee, the Portuguese government has recently issued a number of laws implementing a strong harm-reductionistic orientation. The flagship of these laws is the decriminalization of the use and possession for use of drugs. Use and possession for use are now only administrative offenses; no distinction is made between different types of drugs (hard vs. soft drugs) or whether consumption is private or in public. Although most people favor decriminalization in principle, doubts have been expressed about the way the law will be implemented because the law only sets a framework for those communities that wish to undertake such activities--it is an enabling law. This has led to a considerable lack of clarity and increases the risk of dissimilarity of implementation in different parts of the country. The future will show the effects

Business · CLARITY · Criminology · Decriminalization · Drug · Drug development · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Environmental planning · Geography · Government (linguistics · Harm · Harm reduction · Law and economics · Political science · Possession (linguistics · Public economics · Public health · Trespass · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Law · Medicine · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Pharmacology · Psychology · Public Health in Brazil · Youth, Drugs, and Violence