This is patently untrue. Although violence may have decreased in Portugal a very short research detailed how there are more users in Portugal now than before drugs were decriminalized.
I am an advotcate of legalizing drugs but have no doubt that use, addiction and the social ills associated with drug use will increase.
This week I met with the Child Crisis Nursery in Phoenix and they state that a large majority of the abused and neglected kids in their care are due to drug using parents. This situation burns me and makes me consider the terrible consequences that the abuse of drugs causes. This may be one unintended consequence that would increase with the legalization of drugs.
The libertarian in me wants to legalize everything but I wonder if people are responsible enough to deal with that freedom. If you ask the people who run our social service agencies their answer would most likely be no.
I did go to far by saying that Portugal has NO drug problem, it does just like any other country, however now they have a better system to monitor as people are being more truthful responding about their drug intake, recreational or not (one of the reasons it might seems usage has increase)
The programs and services they have implemented definitely are helping, some mention by beachykeen, a lot of deceases and illnesses due to drug usage have gone down, specially Aids, and the gov. is helping people more with treatments than jail time and most importantly use of drugs between first time users has decline, that right there, IMHO, is a GREAT step accomplished by Portugal.
No matter what if it is ILLEGAL we humans will love to find out about it, legalize it and slowly but surely it will just drop by the side of the road!! unless it is alcohol!!!
"SEDENA estaba ahí como seguridad. Era una junta para que las dos bandas de traficantes pudieron hacer un arreglo. El Joaquin Guzman ordenó que dejaran de pelear. En esa junta el pizo que los pelavaca y los salazar tendrían que pagar estaba negociado. El pizo quedo a 250000 dolares mensuales. Como no tenían permiso portar armas a la junta SEDENA era el proveedor de seguridad".