What Can We Learn From The Portuguese Decriminalization of Illicit Drugs?

The issue of decriminalizing illicit drugs is hotly debated, but is rarely subject to evidence-based analysis. This paper examines the case of Portugal, a nation that decriminalized the use and possession of all illicit drugs on 1 July 2001. Drawing upon independent evaluations and interviews conduc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of criminology 2010-11, Vol.50 (6), p.999-1022
Main Authors: Hughes, Caitlin Elizabeth, Stevens, Alex
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cannabis
Cocaine
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Criminal law
Criminals
Criminology
Decriminalization
drug
Drug Abuse
Drug addiction
Drug legalization
Drug policy
Drug related crimes
Drug use
Drugs
EVIDENCE
Governance
Government policy
Health Problems
Heroin
Illicit drugs
Law and legislation
LAW REFORM
LEGISLATION
Police
policy
Portugal
Public health
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The issue of decriminalizing illicit drugs is hotly debated, but is rarely subject to evidence-based analysis. This paper examines the case of Portugal, a nation that decriminalized the use and possession of all illicit drugs on 1 July 2001. Drawing upon independent evaluations and interviews conducted with 13 key stakeholders in 2007 and 2009, it critically analyses the criminal justice and health impacts against trends from neighbouring Spain and Italy. It concludes that contrary to predictions, the Portuguese decriminalization did not lead to major increases in drug use. Indeed, evidence indicates reductions in problematic use, drug-related harms and criminal justice overcrowding. The article discusses these developments in the context of drug law debates and criminological discussions on late modern governance.
ISSN:0007-0955
1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azq038