Portugal decriminalized drugs 25 years ago, but the real lesson is what it built around this policy

Portugal’s remarkable public health strides after changing its approach to drugs may not be replicable in other countries absent broader systemic reforms.

By: Karyn Sporer, University of Maine and Robert Glover, University of Maine, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 14, 2026

Words: 1,612

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Karyn Sporer, University of Maine and Robert Glover, University of Maine

Nearly 70,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2025. While that is a decline from the nearly 108,000 deaths recorded in 2022, these grim figures distinguish the U.S. from other high-income countries. At the peak of the opioid crisis, the U.S. overdose death rate was 68% higher than Canada’s and nearly five times that of Australia.

And death is only the …

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