honorable mention
Gonçalo Fonseca portugal
title
Stepping into the Light - Portuguese Drug Policy
In the 90's Portugal faced a heroin epidemic, an estimated 1% of it's population was hooked on it, and they had one of the worse HIV prevalence rates between drug addicts in the EU. Lisbon was home to the Casal Ventoso neighborhood, the biggest drug supermarket in Europe, where 5 thousand addicts scurried the labyrinthine streets everyday.
Faced with this public health crisis, officials made a bold move. Drug addiction and consumption began to be regarded an illness, not a crime. Overdose deaths and drug related crime came down, and Police were able to focus their resources on going after traffickers and dealers.
This works shows the life of addicts on the streets, the support by the mobile methadone clinics give them, and the free treatment centers, that for many are their last hope to kick the addiction.
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entry description
In 2001 Portugal became the first country in the world to to abolish criminal penalties for consumption and possession of all drugs.In the 90's Portugal faced a heroin epidemic, an estimated 1% of it's population was hooked on it, and they had one of the worse HIV prevalence rates between drug addicts in the EU. Lisbon was home to the Casal Ventoso neighborhood, the biggest drug supermarket in Europe, where 5 thousand addicts scurried the labyrinthine streets everyday.
Faced with this public health crisis, officials made a bold move. Drug addiction and consumption began to be regarded an illness, not a crime. Overdose deaths and drug related crime came down, and Police were able to focus their resources on going after traffickers and dealers.
This works shows the life of addicts on the streets, the support by the mobile methadone clinics give them, and the free treatment centers, that for many are their last hope to kick the addiction.
back to gallery
