Thread by @ShellenbergerMD

“There are a lot of myths around the Portuguese model,” said the architect of its drug program.

The main one, he said, is that “we just liberalized [drugs], that 'You can do whatever you want. You have all the room to develop the behavior you wish.’ That’s not the case."

https://twitter.com/ShellenbergerMD/status/1415345836913922054

"Using drugs is still prohibited. There’s a clear sign of disapproval from our society. We do not incentivize or normalize the use of drugs.”

“If somebody was injecting heroin in public in Portugal,” I asked, “what would happen to them?”

“They would be arrested.”

We were on Zoom and I had a shocked look on my face.
“Yes!” he said. “You would sent to the police station. The substances would be apprehended. And if he or she had more than the amount for personal use for 10 days, there would be criminal penalties."

"Less than that amount he would be required to present himself to a Commission [for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction] and you will be confronted on your drug use with health professionals. It’s mandatory.”

I asked Stanford addiction expert @KeithNHumphreys what he thought of the Portuguese model

“Portugal is a conservative culture where drug use is looked down upon. All of these cities [San Francisco, Portland, Seattle] are libertarian in their views about drugs and alcohol..."

"In Portugal they put pressure on people to go into treatment. It’s social pressure and pressure toward making people change their behavior.”