Check out these stats from a country who has decriminalized drugs for the past 20 years...

 

Tobacco, Alcohol, and Guns kill more americans every year than any illegal drug has ever,  Cancer, Drunk driving, and Loose gun laws have allowed these things to become common and even the government sells them to the public yet.....

Portugal’s decriminalization of personal drug possession, enacted in 2001, has had profound and largely positive impacts on public health, criminal justice, and society:

Public Health Outcomes

• Overdose deaths plummeted: Portugal’s overdose death rate dropped from 80 per million in 2001 to just 6 per million by 2021—a 93% decrease, making it one of the lowest rates in Europe147.

• HIV and hepatitis infections fell sharply: New HIV diagnoses among people who inject drugs dropped from over 1,000 cases in 2001 to fewer than 16 annually by 2020. Hepatitis C infections also declined significantly, attributed to expanded harm reduction services like needle exchanges and opioid substitution therapy1347.

• Increased access to treatment: The number of people accessing drug treatment rose by more than 60%, with nearly 75% of those with problematic drug use now in treatment—well above global averages13.

Criminal Justice and Social Effects

• Prison population declined: The proportion of prisoners sentenced for drug offenses fell from 40% to 15% after decriminalization24. The number of people incarcerated for drug crimes dropped from 3,863 in 1999 to 1,140 in 20174.

• Administrative, not criminal, penalties: Possession for personal use is treated as an administrative offense, not a crime. Individuals are referred to “dissuasion commissions” of health and legal experts, who may recommend treatment, counseling, or education, but rarely impose harsh penalties23.

Drug Use Trends

• No significant increase in drug use: Contrary to common fears, studies show that drug use rates in Portugal have remained among the lowest in Europe, with youth use and problematic heroin use declining after decriminalization1235.

Economic and Societal Benefits

• Cost savings: Social costs of drug use fell by 18% in the first decade, mainly due to fewer criminal cases and improved health outcomes6.

• Social reintegration: Investments in housing, employment, and education have helped break cycles of addiction and marginalization1.

Key Takeaways

• Portugal’s model is not legalization: drug trafficking remains illegal, and the focus is on harm reduction and health, not punishment13.

• The approach is credited with transforming Portugal from a country with one of Europe’s worst drug crises to a model for compassionate, evidence-based drug policy167.

Summary Table: Portugal’s Decriminalization Impact

Area	Impact
Overdose deaths	Down 93% (2001–2021)
HIV/Hepatitis cases	Down >90% among people who inject drugs
Prison population	Drug offense incarcerations fell by over 70%
Treatment access	Up >60%; 75% of problematic users in treatment
Drug use rates	No significant increase; some declines, especially among youth
Social costs	Down 18% in first decade

Portugal’s experience is widely cited as evidence that decriminalization, paired with robust health and social support, can dramatically reduce drug-related harms without increasing drug use123467.

As you can see it didn't increase the use of any drugs and actually had many benefits to Portugal as long as it was what?.... Paired with SOCIAL SUPPORT.  Oregon was leading the way with a similar law decriminalizing drugs but reversed it due to FEARS.  Why do we let fear dictate change?  We might as well be living in the Nixon Era, when the drug wars started.  Or why do we not focus on the price gouging of the big pharmaceutical companies for instance the price of insulin is about 600$ when a high school lab in Australia synthesized it for just 5$ so why are we as Americans paying so much more for all of our prescription drugs?  No competition or outsourcing and these huge companies have so much power over the market and they may say the cost reflects current R&D or Research and Development but, one thing, the original developer of insulin wanted for it to be free to all but someone bought the patent and then started charging more and more for an essential drug for the foods that the government allows to be made and feed to Americans as a whole.  Processed foods and sugars have caused the problem and sugar is even more addictive than cocaine.  

1. https://freesiatherapy.com/portugals-model-of-drug-decriminalization-and-harm-reduction-a-compassionate-approach-to-saving-lives/
2. https://transformdrugs.org/blog/drug-decriminalisation-in-portugal-setting-the-record-straight
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal
4. https://www.statista.com/chart/20616/key-developments-since-portugal-decriminalized-drugs/
5. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/is-portugals-drug-decriminalization-a-failure-or-success-the-answer-isnt-so-simple/
6. https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20250131-portugal-s-radical-approach-to-drug-decriminalisation-a-model-for-the-rest-of-the-world
7. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/24/1230188789/portugal-drug-overdose-opioid-treatment
8. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/ondcp-fact-sheets/drug-decriminalization-in-portugal-challenges-and-limitations