Portugal and the drug war

The decriminalisation of drugs in Portugal has been a success, but austerity measures may threaten drug treatment
Helen Redmond
Al Jazeera
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Portuguese drug policy and the drug treatment system are not without challenges and problems. No system is perfect and operates within a constantly changing economic, social and political environment. Some of the CDTs have been understaffed and the wait for treatment has increased. The economic crisis has hit Portugal hard and the unemployment rate is 12 per cent. The right-wing government is pushing through austerity measures that would cut health and social services and staff. These cuts would have a direct and negative impact on the availability of drug treatment services.