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country, pursuing more multilateral cooperation with other countries, became exposed tonew ideas, trends, and fashions.After a half century of isolation, the Portuguese were ill-prepared to confront the waveof changes that came with greater openness in the late 1970s. They possessed no commonknowledge about drugs, especially the distinction between hard and soft drugs, what problemsdifferent drugs carried, what health risks they presented to individuals, or what kindof social problems they caused.In the early 1980s, the most commonly used drugs in Portugal were hashish andmarijuana, but heroin had already appeared by the late 1970s. Heroin smuggled from Pakistanand India through the former colony of Mozambique by Portuguese of Pakistani originwas sold on Portuguese streets in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Then, when two largegangs smuggling heroin through Mozambique were broken up, heroin started flowing fromthe Netherlands. Because heroin smuggling in Portugal consisted of so many small groupsand individual smugglers, the authorities found it impossible to stop. Heroin use was alsochanging at this time, as consumers started to smoke as well as inject the drug.In the late 1980s, and especially in the early 1990s, drug consumption in Portugalbecame a subject of social concern. Many people in Portuguese society concluded that thecountry had a serious drug problem and high drug consumption. At the time, this convictionwas not based on any research on consumption, but simply general impressions and anecdotalevidence. A likely contributing factor to these impressions was that drug consumptionin some districts of Lisbon and other bigger cities had become more open and visible.A EuroBarometer survey conducted in 1997 showed that the Portuguese perceiveddrug-related issues as the country’s main social problem. Four years later in 2001, 3 when thenew law decriminalizing drug possession and use was implemented, drugs occupied thirdplace on the list of issues that gave rise to social concern among the Portuguese.The first comprehensive study on drug use in Portugal conducted in 2001, however,showed that, contrary to popular belief, the level of drug consumption in the country wasamong the lowest in Europe at that time. Barely 8 percent of the Portuguese surveyed admittedto using drugs at some point in their lives. 43. Joao Goulao, “Interdiction or Decriminalization—What Works with Drug Crime?” Speechgiven at the 12 th International Criminal Law Congress 2010.4. Inquerito Nacional ao Consumo de Substancias Psicoactivas na População Geral, Portugal2001 (Nationwide Survey on Psychoactive Substances Consumption conducted by professorCasimiro Balsa et al. in 2001). Interview with Casimiro Balsa.14 PORTUGAL BEFORE 2001
Why was there such a disconnect between the results of this study—not particularlyalarming—and the public perception that drugs were a major problem? Although Portugalhad one of Europe’s lowest levels of illicit drug consumption among the general population,experts agree that during the 1980s and 1990s, it was one of the highest prevalencecountries for problematic drug use, 5 particularly heroin use. 6 The 2001 survey found that0.7 percent of the population had used heroin at least once in their lives, the second highestrate in Europe after England and Wales (1 percent). 7 A recent paper by the European MonitoringCentre for Drugs and Drug Addiction shows that drug use in the general populationremains below the European average, however “problem drug use and drug-related harmsare closer to, and sometimes above, the European average.” 8 At the same time, it should benoted that the number of problematic drug use cases appears to have fallen in recent years. 9For example, the prevalence of heroin use among 16–18 year olds fell from 2.5 percent in1999 to 1.8 percent in 2005.Professor Casimiro Balsa 10 believes that social concern was also caused by the visibilityof drug use in the public sphere (in streets, parks, and pubs). In a country where traditionalmorals had dominated for such a long time, such atypical behaviors were felt to be incompatiblewith public morality. This concern supported public perceptions about the seriousnessof the drug problem in Portugal. The concern appeared to arise naturally in a general andwidespread way among people, rather than being promoted from the pulpit. Indeed, theChurch itself was not outspoken regarding drug policy, nor, in fact, has it been outspokenon other policy matters (except abortion) since the democratic revolution brought about theseparation of church and state.5. Problem drug use is considered as intravenous drug use (IDU) or long duration/regulardrug use of opiates, cocaine and/or amphetamines. Ecstasy and cannabis are not included in thiscategory (Definition from the EMCDDA).6. Joao Goulou, quoted in: Beyrer, C. et al., “Time to act: a call for comprehensive responsesto HIV in people who use drugs,” The Lancet: HIV in People Who Use Drugs, Special Issue, July2010. Also see Hughes, C., Stevens, A. The Effects of Decriminalization of Drug Use in Portugal,The Beckley Foundation, December 2007.7. Balsa et al.8. Moreira, M., Hughes B., Costa, Storti C., Zobel F. (2011), Drug Policy Profiles: Portugal,EMCDDA, p. 17.9. For example, the prevalence of heroin use among 16–18 year olds fell from 2.5 percentin 1999 to 1.8 percent in 2005. For more, see Greenwald, G. (2009), Drug Decriminalization inPortugal; Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies, The Cato Institute, p. 14.10. A sociologist involved in the 2001 study.DRUG POLICY IN PORTUGAL 15
Page 1: LESSONS FOR DRUG POLICY SERIESDrug
Page 4 and 5: Copyright © 2011 Open Society Foun
Page 6 and 7: who are committed to effective, end
Page 9: AcknowledgmentsThe list of people I
Page 12 and 13: According to Portuguese and interna
Page 14 and 15: Persons InterviewedJoão Goulão, P
Page 18 and 19: The government first responded to t
Page 20 and 21: at-risk groups and current drug use
Page 22 and 23: Passage of the new law and implemen
Page 24 and 25: Decriminalization differs from depe
Page 26 and 27: PreventionA key concept underlying
Page 28 and 29: If a person fails to attend the Dis
Page 30 and 31: There are often cases that are diff
Page 32 and 33: about the option of exchanging hero
Page 35 and 36: VI. The Attitude of the PoliceIniti
Page 37 and 38: VII. Advantages and DrawbacksOne of
Page 39: A drawback to the policy is one tha
Page 42 and 43: Drug consumption, especially cocain
Page 44 and 45: United States, where drug availabil
Page 47 and 48: IX. ConclusionsAfter 10 years of de
Page 49 and 50: About the AuthorArtur Domosl⁄awsk
Page 52: Drug policies that are based on hum

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