What can Australia [and the world] learn from Portugal’s approach to drugs?
*China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore —routinely execute drug offenders.
An Australian politician has called for the decriminalisation of drugs in the Northern Territory, which has already decriminalised cannabis, after witnessing the successes of Portugal’s drug policy.
Jeff Collins, the Assistant Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT), has called for an end to the criminalisation of people who possess drugs for personal use. He said that it was important to treat people who use drugs as “having a health issue, not necessarily a criminal issue”, according to a statement reported by ABC. Collins’ remarks came as he completed a trip to Portugal. During Collins’ visit, he met with legal and health professionals, discussed the implementation of the country’s drug strategy, and observed the operation of treatment facilities and drug education services, with the hope that such experiences could inform his policy approach to drug use in the NT.
Original Article (Talkingdrugs.org):
What can Australia learn from Portugal’s approach to drugs?
Artwork Fair Use: Guillaume Blanchard
