Apocalypse cancelled

Always good value, the Economist reports on Europe secret drugs' miracle. It an objective account on a brave decision by Portuguese politicians. Ir is especially convincing as its source is a right wing think tank.

In 2001 newspapers around the world carried graphic reports of addicts injecting heroin in the grimy streets of a Lisbon slum. The place was dubbed Europe’s “most shameful neighbourhood” and its “worst drugs ghetto”. The Times helpfully managed to find a young British backpacker sprawled comatose on a corner. This lurid coverage was prompted by a government decision to decriminalise the personal use and possession of all drugs, including heroin and cocaine. The police were told not to arrest anyone found taking any kind of drug.

This “ultraliberal legislation”, said the foreign media, had set alarm bells ringing across Europe. The Portuguese were said to be fearful that holiday resorts would become dumping-grounds for drug tourists. Some conservative politicians denounced the decriminalisation as “pure lunacy”. Plane-loads of foreign students would head for the Algarve to smoke marijuana, predicted Paulo Portas, leader of the People’s Party. Portugal, he said, was offering “sun, beaches and any drug you like.”

Yet after all the furore, the drug law was largely forgotten by the international and Portuguese press—until earlier this year, when the Cato Institute, a libertarian American think-tank, published a study of the new policy by a lawyer, Glenn Greenwald.* In contrast to the dire consequences that critics predicted, he concluded that “none of the nightmare scenarios” initially painted, “from rampant increases in drug usage among the young to the transformation of Lisbon into a haven for ‘drug tourists’, has occurred.”

Mr Greenwald claims that the data show that “decriminalisation has had no adverse effect on drug usage rates in Portugal”, which “in numerous categories are now among the lowest in the European Union”. This came after some rises in the 1990s, before decriminalisation. The figures reveal little evidence of drug tourism: 95% of those cited for drug misdemeanours since 2001 have been Portuguese. The level of drug trafficking, measured by numbers convicted, has also declined. And the incidence of other drug-related problems, including sexually transmitted diseases and deaths from drug overdoses, has “decreased dramatically”.

There are widespread misconceptions about the Portuguese approach. “It is important not to confuse decriminalisation with depenalisation or legalisation,” comments Brendan Hughes of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, which is, coincidentally, based in Lisbon. “Drug use remains illegal in Portugal, and anyone in possession will be stopped by the police, have the drugs confiscated and be sent before a commission.”

“Proving a causal link between Portugal’s decriminalisation measures and any changes in drug-use patterns is virtually impossible in scientific terms,” concludes Mr Hughes. “But anyone looking at the statistics can see that drug consumption in 2001 was relatively low in European terms, and that it remains so. The apocalypse hasn’t happened.” 

Forgotten heroes

Tomorrow will be slightly surreal.

I shall be attending the annual Merchant Navy memorial day at Tower Hill London. The principal guest will be Lord West who I sparred with on Newsnight a few days ago. My role will be to read a message from the Prime Minister. That's really interesting.

the main purpose of my annual trip to Tower Hill is to honour the Merchant Seaman who died in the war. Their sacrifices have been largely forgotten. In Newport and Cardiff in recent years memorials have been erected to honour their memories.

Afghanistan truth

I had a great morning with Labour Grasssroots in the Newport Centre.

An an extremely receptive audience provided fresh evidence of the Afghan futility. Especially telling was an an account by a NHS worker of the dreadful wounds suffered by at least 2,000 British soldiers. Many would have died on the battlefields in past wars. Now they survive, But their lives are broken.

There has been a strong response to my article in the Independent. Many are hearing the case against for the first time. Some of the responses are on yesterday's blogs. Thanks to all those who have contacted me. The campaign to reveal the truth continues.

Comments

[Kay Tie]

"This is the next war whose stupidity needs to be brought to the publics attention."

Fortunately, Paul is doing this too!

[John]

Brave countries such as Portugal Argentina and Mexico have seen the futility of the war on drugs and decriminalised the use of some if not all currently illegal drugs.These countires that have gone against the mainly USA backed consensus will eventaully show how wrong our policy is.

The lives lost because of Prohibition make those lost in Afghanistan seem small fry yet there is very little outcry to this loss of life. Our citizens have been fed the propaganda that somehow drug users are less than human and their lives matter less than others.
Deaths from heroin use fell by 50% in portugal since the change in Policy. Real lives are being saved yet here in the UK all we get is too get even tougher on drugs.

The UN backed slaughter of over 2000 many innocent family members in Thailands 2004 clean up of drug dealers had little success and looks likely to be repeated. This tacit support by the UN of the removal of human rights is obscene.

This is the next war whose stupidity needs to be brought to the publics attention. We have many decades of lies and misinformation around drugs to overcome and the almost herculean task of getting Politicians to admit they were wrong on this issue. It is going to be difficult but it needs to be done.

[John Radford]

I heard you on Newsnight and read your article in The Independent. Thank heavens someone in Westminster is at last prepared to stand up and speak out against this shameful war. The second the Americans have dragged us into.
What has happened to Labour. Harold Wilson said 'no' to a US request to join in the Viet Nam war.
All the talk of dragging Afghanistan out of the Middle Ages never seems to apply to Saudi Arabia a country that spawned 9/11 that sparked all this off.
If we wanted to ensure that no future training camps for budding terrorists were again set up in Afghanistan one submarine parked somewhere in the Arabian Sea could "keep our streets safe"more cheaply and with no British lives at risk.
Labour are heading to a defeat thanks to our 'special relationship' ; first these wars and then then the Anglo-American muck up of the economy.
Bring our troops back, then Labour might stand a chance.
Was good to read your views on the US jihad and I hope you continue to focus on this for us.

[MJ]

A very good article in the Independent on Saturday about the madness of continuing the war in Afghanistan, I am amazed that Gordon Brown is peddling this lie that we are fighting the war to make Britain a safer place from terrorism. I have been petitioning with others in Newport over the past 6 weeks to end the war and bring the troops home, we have collected nearly 2000 signatures, many from friends and relatives of serving soldiers and even serving soldiers themsleves. They know that the war has nothing to do with international terrorism and has most people tell us, that it is for economic & political influence within the region.

The anger about the futility of the war, and that our young servicemen and women are being sacrificed in this way is growing each week, I don't think the general public can stand by and watch these brave soldiers coming home in coffins anymore. We will carry on with the petition till someone listens, this is a national campaign and a very important one, we will also be building to get a coach from Newport for the Stop The War Demo in London on Oct 24th.

[Kay Tie]

On a related note (to merchant seamen in the War), the cartoons of Zec are interesting:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/10/18/stars-of-political-cartooning-philip-zec/

His cartoon of a seaman floating on wreckage captioned "The price of petrol has been increased by one penny." Official" upset Winston Churchill, who demanded the Daily Mirror be shut down. Although it wasn't his intention to make a point about oil profiteering he certainly should have highlighted the unfair way seamen were being treated while laying down their lives.

[Kay Tie]

I agree with Paul's position in the war. I was undecided until I saw reports of widespread election fraud. This tears to shreds the only valid reason for our intervention. Now it's obvious we are merely propping up a weak and corrupt government. Our troops should come home.

[JD]

I would like to see this bloody war brought to an end. I do not believe anything anyone says to justify it. Every good, and expensively well trained soldier killed is a total waste of life, and pure murder. Keep plugging away. You have access to our parliament, so use your prerogative to stop this war now!!. Get the troops home, now!!.

I am a member of 'The English Democrats', and therefore I realise that we will not see eye to eye on most things. However, I think we both agree to stop wasting money and lives on such a futile cause.

[Kay Tie]

I haven't forgotten the sacrifices of the Mechant Navy. But I haven't forgotten how merchant seaman were treated terribly by the Government and the shipping companies: pay was suspended when the ship was sunk and only resumed when the seaman signed on to a new ship in Britain.

[Paul Flynn]

Paul Flynn MP House of Commons London SW1A OAA
Dip into now daily blog on paulflynnmp.co.uk.

[Jolly Roger]

When you're giving your speech up in the Smoke,
How's about mentioning the fisher-folk?
My late Mother-in-law was one of thirteen,
Twelve brothers and her, a bonny colleen.
She stayed at home, helping with fish packing,
Her brothers at sea, with holds ripe for stacking.
Heading up North, to Greenland and farther,
Sooner them than me, that's what I'd rather.

They signed on as boys and soon became men,
They'd harvest the seas and go back again,
Through peace and wartime it made little odds,
As they placed their lives in the hands of the gods.
It wasn't the Germans that they particularly feared,
It was that old King Neptune with his long flowing beard
North Sea, North Atlantic and everywhere icy,
To keep the cod from getting too pricey.

Of that twelve now, just one survives,
And six had already lost their lives,
Before the age of twenty one,
To give us fish aplenty, mun.
They put a spanner in Hitler's plan,
To starve us out, child, woman and man.
I've seen the pictures, I've heard the tales.
And we thought we had it tough, down here in Wales.

Some years ago we visited Hull.
And went to the fish-dock, and saw a solitary gull.
Just two trawlers, that's all that's left.
With dozens of families still proud yet bereft.
Men gave of themselves and fought the wet foe,
Before storm and cold seas just made them let go.
We owe so much, not just to militias,
But also those men who now sleep with the fishes.

[Adam]

'the Cato Institute, a libertarian American think-tank, published a study of the new policy by a lawyer, Glenn Greenwald.* In contrast to the dire consequences that critics predicted, he concluded that “none of the nightmare scenarios” initially painted, “from rampant increases in drug usage among the young to the transformation of Lisbon into a haven for ‘drug tourists’, has occurred.”'

I noticed Greenwald recently in a comment about Afghanistan:

"Whether to continue our massive National Security State and general imperial behavior (unsustainable in any event) is at least as important a question in the debate over Afghanistan as specific questions raised by the war itself."
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/09/03/afghanistan/index.html

'I had a great morning with Labour Grasssroots in the Newport Centre.

An an extremely receptive audience provided fresh evidence of the Afghan futility. Especially telling was an an account by a NHS worker of the dreadful wounds suffered by at least 2,000 British soldiers. Many would have died on the battlefields in past wars. Now they survive, But their lives are broken.'

It is very sad. For all those that are needlessly killed, many more are disabled severely. That goes for Iraqi and Afghan civilians too.