Then (2015), Chasing the Scream
Portugal's Drug Decriminalization: The 2026 Picture
Portugal's 2001 decriminalization of all drug use, combined with investment in jobs, housing, and social services, produced dramatic reductions in HIV transmission, overdose deaths, and addiction rates while imprisonment rates for drug users plummeted.
It's Complicated
Portugal's results through 2024 are more mixed than Hari's 2015 account suggested. Drug-related deaths rose significantly between 2015 and 2023 as the opioid crisis shifted toward synthetic opioids. A 2023 evaluation found that the social support programs have been underfunded since austerity measures following the 2008 financial crisis. HIV transmission among drug users remains low (the clearest success). The Portuguese government has maintained decriminalization but has increased enforcement against trafficking. The model works best when the social support investment matches the criminal justice savings, which has not consistently happened.
Sources
- Hari, Chasing the Scream (2015)
- EMCDDA, Portugal Country Drug Report (2023)
- Hughes & Stevens, Br J Criminol (2010)