Decriminalising drugs would solve many problems

In Portugal, where all drugs were decriminalised in 2001, drug related deaths are the lowest in Europe. Suzanne Harrington reckons decriminalisation would be a good thing.

Outside a coffee shop, there is shouting. Male voices, getting louder. Three men come into view — two trying to grab a bicycle from a third. They are shouting that he has stolen their bike. Except they are homeless addicts and the third guy is a bicycle courier, so visually the story doesn’t add up. Meanwhile, they are starting to throw half-hearted punches. It’s not even ten in the morning, on a busy city street. Nobody intervenes, but lots of people stand around, watching.

The situation changes when a menopausal lady in yoga pants marches over and gets involved. (People tend not to punch menopausal ladies). Once a woman is there, male bystanders join in too, and the bike courier grabs his bike from the ground and cycles off, yelling “junkie scum” over his shoulder. The addicts shuffle off, hollow-eyed, in search of another bike.