Time to rethink our policy on drugs experiences from Europe and Americas
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Time to rethink our policy on drugs experiences from Europe and Americas
Consequences of Portuguese drug use decriminalisation law
Jorge Quintas
U. Porto – Faculty of law - School of CriminologyTransatlantic Conference
Brussels, November 12, 2013
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Portuguese drug use decriminalisation law
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Drug use decriminalization law
Law 30/2000 (November, 29)– Drug users «health and social protection» – Drug use is an administrative offence– Deterrence committees for drug addiction (health
oriented) replaced the courts (Commissões para a Dissuasão da Toxicodependência – CDT)
– Administrative Sanctions :• Non-addicted drug user - fine, others non-pecuniary
penalties (e.g. community service; interdictions), warning• Addicted drug user - others non-pecuniary penalties (e.g.
community service; interdictions), warning– Sanctions should be, however, suspended on behalf of
« treatment »
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Decriminalisation – we should expect more drug use?
• Deterrence effect– SeverityDecreases, namely by the removal of criminal threat?– CertaintyDecreases, namely by police administrative offenses depreciation?– CelerityIncreases?
• Declaratory effectDecreases, namely by the removal of « symbolic » value of criminalisation?
The message to society (social norm against drugs) is less effective?
• Therapeutic effectCDT are more efficient (compared to courts) in promoting drug use offender
treatment?
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Decriminalisation - we should expect similar drug use?
Deterrence scientific research• Aggregate research
– null or small relation between policies, law or law enforcement and drug use (Boekhout Van Solinge, 1999; Cesoni, 2000; Cohen & Kaal, 2001; Kilmer, 2002; Korf, 2001; OEDT, 2001; OFS, 2002; Reuband, 1995; Sénat Canada, 2002, 2003)
• Policy impact research (namely decriminalisation law’s studies) – little or no change in drug use (Ali, Christie, Lenton, Hawks,
Sutton, Hall & Allsop, 1999; Atkinson & McDonald, 1995; Chaloupka, Grossman & Taurus, 1998; Chaloupka, Pacula, Farrely, Johnston & Bray, 1998; Christie, 1991; Donnelly & Hall, 1994; Donnelly, Hall & Christie, 1995, 1998; Hadorn, 1997; Johnston, Bachman & O’Malley, 1981; MacCoun, Model, Philips-Schockly & Reuter, 1995; MacCoun & Reuter, 1997, 1999, 2001; MacCoun; 2003; McGeorge & Aitken, 1997; Model, 1993; OFS, 2002; Pacula, Chriqui & King, 2003; Reuter & MacCoun, 1995; Saffer & Chaloupka, 1995; Single, 1989; Single & Christie, 2001; Single, Christie & Ali, 2000; Solivetti, 2001; Thies & Register, 1993; Thomas, 1998)
• perceptual deterrence research– perceived risk or severity of sanctions have
a null or small effect on drug use (Foglia, 1997; MacCoun, 1993; Paternoster, 1987, 1989; Paternoster & Piquero, 1995)
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Drug use data
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Drug use trend
0
5
10
15
20
25
1995 1999 2003 2007 2011
19 europeancountrys
portugal
Drug use lifetime prevalence rate (ESPAD Surveys)
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Drug addiction trend
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 0 2 4 6 8 10
first treatment
Sources: Relatório anual 2011, 2010. 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 e 2002 do IDT; Relatório anual 2001 do SPTT, Sumários de Informação Estatística 1994 do GPCCD
Law 1970 Law 1983 Law 1993 Law 2000F df p
First treatment 547 3065 ↑ 8208 ↑ 6503 ↓ 33,62 (3,30) ,000
since 2008 also includesAlcoholics (e.g. 2011 - 28%)
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Drug harms trend (AIDS)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
AIDS AIDS - Drug addicts AIDS - Others
Law 1970 Law 1983 Law 1993 Law 2000 F df p
AIDS - Drug addicts - 39 522 ↑ 331 ↓ 30,92 (2,23) ,000
Sources: Relatório anual 2011 do IDT
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Impact of drug use decriminalisation law
• Drug use and drug harms
– a null effect on drug use– matches with a decrease on drug addiction– matches with a decrease on drug harms
• Portugal confirms the more expected scientific result of drug decriminalisation laws– a small or null effect on drug use and drug addiction
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Law enforcement
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Presumed infractors (Police data)
Use Traffic and traffic-use
Before law 30/2000
(1993-2000)
M=4955 (year)(For a 3% last year prevalence drug use rate in adult population - <2% of all active drug users)
M=4033 (year)
After law 30/2000
(2001-2011)
M=6335 (year)(For a 3% last year prevalence drug use rate in adult population - <2% of all active drug users)
M=5573 (year)
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Sanctions (Court and CDT data)
Use Traffic and traffic-use(1993 Law)
Before law 30/2000
(1993-2000)
M=1451 (year)75% fine8% effective prison sentences
M=1718 (year)Effective prison sentences (84% law1983) 70% (until 2000)
After law 30/2000
(2001-2011)
M=3972 (year)86% suspended sanctions(non addict drug user=2646; addict =796)13% punitive sanctionsAnd also some criminal convictions for quantities exceeding law 30/2000 previsions
M=1896 (year)Effective prison sentences 45% (after 2000)
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Decriminalisation law effect
• Law enforcement– Police action
• A little more use and traffic charges• Decrease in action to heroine and cocaine markets and an
increase in hashish market• In a tiny scenario of arrest probabilities for drug use
– Justice action• A net-widenning effect (more extensive effective drug users
prosecution)• More « treatment » for drug users• Stability of traffic convictions• Less severity in traffic sentences
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Drug use law atittudes and knowledge
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Drugs and law surveys
• 2003 - law and psychology students, adults, police officers, drug addicts (N = 232)
• 2011 and 2012 –law, criminology and psychology students (N=247)
• We only use similar samples (law and psychology students) in comparative analysis (N=255)
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Attitudes toward prohibition of …
prohibition efficacy
prohibition efficacy
heroine
heroine
hashish
hashish
alcohol
alcohol
drug use
drug use
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2003
2011-2
Disagree Agree
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Attitudes toward drug use law’s
decriminalisation
decriminalisation
crime
crime
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2003
2011-2
Disagree Agree
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Attitudes toward sanctions
treatment
treatment
fine
fine
prison
prison
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2003
2011-2
Disagree Agree
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Knowledge of drug use law (%)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
administrative offence (correct)
crime not prohibited dont know
2003
2011-2
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Attitudes and knowledge
–Attitudes• Moderate preference for prohibition of drug use• Mistrust in their efficacy • Doubt about crime vs. decriminalisation• Preference for treatment
– Knowledge• Weak knowledge• Uncertainty in deterrence analysis
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Deterrence and normative predictors of drug use
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scale 1 to 7, unless otherwise indicatedN=247, psychology, criminology and law students
Drug use (next year)(M=2,0)
M Rs pHISTORY
Drug use in last year (yes) 19% (Prevalence rate) ,54** <,001DETERRENCE
Risk of arrest (personal certainty) 1,2 ,50** <,001Vicarious risk of arrest (general certainty) 3,7 -,12 nsSeverity 349 Euros -,10 nsCelerity 3,5 ,10 nsExperience with punishment (yes) 0 - -Vicarious experience with punishment (yes)
19% ,12 ns
NORMSPersonal (internalized) norms 2,7 ,40* <,05Relatives social norms 1,7 ,58** <,001Distant social norms 3,1 ,15 nsDescriptive norms 4,8 ,26* <,05Informal sanctions 3,6 -,20* <,05Legitimacy of punishment 4,6 -,35* <,001Behaviour (drug use) risks 6,2 -,35* <,001
PERSONALAge 21 -,02 nsGender (Male) 23% ,19* <,05
Drug use predictors
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Drug use predictors
–In normative samples (university students) • Past behaviour (History)• Norms (descriptive and relatives social norms)• Personal risk of arrest (deterrence), but the estimation of drug use is
positively correlated
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Conclusions
• Decriminalisation merits– Remove the criticism to the adequacy of penal law to drug use
offences– More efficacy in the bridge legal system – health system (data not
presented)– Well-matched with public moderate preference for prohibition of
drug use and clear preference for treatment– A small or null effect on drug use and drug addiction
• Decriminalisation limits– A small or null effect on drug use and drug addiction– History of use and norms are much more strong drug use
predictors– Weak public knowledge– The ”net-widening effect” is insufficient– Legitimacy arguments (freedom, drug use sanctions, …)