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

In 2025, nearly 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, a decline from the peak of 108,000 in 2022.

This figure highlights the severity of the opioid crisis in the US, where the overdose death rate was 68% higher than Canada’s and nearly five times that of Australia.

Substance use disorder, or addiction to drugs, costs the US hundreds of billions of dollars annually in healthcare, criminal justice, and lost productivity.

These costs do not account for the broader social impact on families and communities.

For decades, US drug policy has focused on reducing drug use by disrupting supply chains, punishing possession, and promoting abstinence.

This approach contrasts with alternative strategies that prioritize public health and harm reduction, such as Portugal’s model.