Every Drug is Legal in Portugal (2011)

Legal Fix (2011): Have Portugal's extraordinarily liberal drug laws proven beneficial to society since their introduction?

For similar stories, see:
The Plight Of Portugal's Homeless Will Break Your Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwahgZJFeoo
Drugs And Gang Warfare Rife In Rio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2YwhP9ElVg
Could Thailand's War on Drugs Be an Excuse to Make Political Undesirables Disappear?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcViBSsEEW8

Subscribe to journeyman for daily uploads:
http://www.youtube.com/journeymanpictures
For downloads and more information visit:
http://www.journeyman.tv/film/5351

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/journeymanpictures
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JourneymanVOD
https://twitter.com/JourneymanNews
Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/journeymanpictures

After suffering the highest instance of drug-related deaths in all Europe, Portugal took a brave decision and decriminalised all drugs. Ten years on, is it a success story for other nations to follow?

On the streets of Lisbon drug users light up wherever they want. One police officer tells us the girl across the street is smoking crack. He complains, but few share his sentiment. "Considering drug users as criminals just because they are using drugs is not a very realistic approach", a Portuguese drug addiction officer argues. He has just had an interview with a sixteen-year-old boy caught smoking hashish. No punishment was handed out, just advice. In Portugal it's now seen as a health problem, rather than a criminal one. Brendan Hughes of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs says it is very difficult to analyse the success of the law. He points to one very interesting fact: "In 10 years of governments in Portugal, where they have changed from left to centre-right to left, back to centre-right, drugs have stayed off the agenda".

Due to the economic crisis, funding for the rehabilitation of drug offenders is going to be very seriously hit. For Dr Goulao, the public face of the law, it comes at the worst possible time. "I believe that more people will turn to drugs and alcohol."

SBS Australia – Ref. 5351

Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world's most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world's top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time. On our channel you'll find outstanding and controversial journalism covering any global subject you can imagine wanting to know about.