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A comment on Oregon’s decriminalization of drug possession is proving disastrous. Parent comment

Re:Oregon’s decriminalization of drug possession is proving ... by deepdriver on Friday July 22, 2022 @12:18AM (#32188484)
This is not how decriminalization of hard drugs has succeeded in any other country. Heroin abuse is illegal in Portugal, as is the unauthorized posession of fentanyl, MDMA, cocaine, crack, etc. They won't put you in prison, but they'll take you to jail. Addicts are compelled to enter treatment:

https://beportugal.com/portugal-drug-laws/

https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/ldjif4/the_portugal...

San Francisco is doing all they can to pursue the sort of plan you propose. It isn't working. Drug abuse and related crimes have only gotten worse. "I heard about Portugal on a podcast" drug policy has been a disaster.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Oregon’s decriminalization of drug possession is proving ... by cannabis_sam on Friday July 22, 2022 @04:18AM (#32189785)
Switzerland pioneered this approach, and it has been implemented in Germany, Netherlands, Canada and Denmark.[0]

What does Portugal have to do with it?

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin-assisted_treatment

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Oregon’s decriminalization of drug possession is proving ... by deepdriver on Saturday July 23, 2022 @03:01AM (#32201073)
There is a difference between legalizing recreational heroin, as the parent comment and activists like Dr. Carl Hart suggest, and providing maintenance doses in a medical setting under supervised and monitored conditions. Switzerland does the latter.

Portgul is relevant because their program of decriminalization is frequently referenced in media and by US policymakers.

[ Parent | on HN ]