In 2001, Portugal became the first country to decriminalize the consumption of all drugs, shifting its focus from punishing users to reducing the harms.
Seventeen years later, two harm reduction workers who drive around the capital Lisbon assisting addicts say they measure their success in small victories.
This is Part Two of a two-part series on Portugal鈥檚 decriminalization of all drugs. Click here for Part One.
Psychologists Rita and Ines pack a van each day and drive to back alleys and other places where people shoot up, offering them clean needles, counselling and bottled water.
Caesar Moreno is addicted to heroin and cocaine. He鈥檚 never had addiction treatment, although he also admits that he has never asked for it.
Rita and Ines are not there to judge. 鈥淚f people ingest with a clean syringe, for us it鈥檚 a good day,鈥� says Ines.
Moreno appreciates Portugal鈥檚 approach to addiction, which 鈥� while still sending dealers to jail 鈥� treats users as people with a health issue.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a criminal,鈥� Moreno says.
鈥淚 just take drugs only, nothing else. I鈥檓 a good person.鈥�
The workers are also there to help people like Mario, a Romanian who has relied on them for water and to bring him to hospital when he gets ill.
鈥淚 started injecting a couple months ago,鈥� he told 麻豆传媒. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 really know how to do it.鈥�
One of the addicts living under a bridge has tuberculosis. Rita and Ines say they鈥檙e working to prevent the disease from spreading.
鈥淲e are trying to get them to all go for an X-ray,鈥� says Ines.
That seems more possible than before decriminalization, because drug users don鈥檛 need to fear arrest.
Meanwhile, have dropped among drug users since the policy change, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
The NDP believes Canada should follow Portugal鈥檚 example and decriminalize all drugs. The Liberals and Conservatives do not support the approach.
With a report from CTV London Bureau Chief Paul Workman in Lisbon, Portugal
