Portugal’s drug policy: a 25-year focus on health
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In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the possession of all drugs for personal use, shifting its national drug policy to prioritize public health and harm reduction.
For decades prior, the country faced a growing heroin crisis and a rising rate of HIV infection among people who injected drugs. In response, the Portuguese government formed a commission of experts who recommended a strategy integrating prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and social reintegration.
This approach differs from the United States, which has historically focused on disrupting drug supply and punishing users. Portugal’s system refers people found with drugs for personal use to multidisciplinary commissions that can connect them with services or impose minor sanctions, but does not result in criminal charges or jail time. Drug manufacturing and trafficking remain criminal offenses. The policy has yielded significant results. Drug-related deaths decreased sharply and remained low, with 105 fatal overdoses recorded in 2023.
New HIV diagnoses linked to injection drug use dropped from 583 in 2005 to just 19 in 2024. More than 24,000 people received care through the country’s specialized public outpatient system in 2023. However, replicating Portugal’s success has proven difficult, as it requires sustained investment in health and social services and cooperation from institutions like law enforcement.
Recent attempts at decriminalization in British Columbia, Canada and Oregon, USA, have faced challenges due to a lack of integrated support systems and political buy-in.
