Portugal and drugs THE RIGHT TO KNOW ALL THE TRUTH

POLICIES OF DRUG IN PORTUGAL

IT’S NECESSARY TO SPEAK ALL THE TRUTH 

It is necessary to go besides

the convenience

of the politically correct speech

By Luís Patrício

Lisbon  - Portugal

In the last ten years, frequently we read in the international press news about Portugal, that in the context of the drugs, shows one reality that isn’t always the truth of the ones that are working in the “land” next the drug consumers, even the patients and relatives, and next other professionals who also work in fact in the field. 

This subject already deserved our attention, and I already wrote in Portuguese language to demystify the over story communicating by the web.

Because I found recently in the web, another news, now from Australia containing some inaccuracies or mistakes about Portugal drug politic, I decided to give my contribute, my way of seeing our reality, my truth besides the official truth.

THE RIGHT TO KNOW ALL THE TRUTH

about Portugal and drugs

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/drug-war-failure-greens-want-portuguese-model-in-australia-20150719-gifsc9.html#ixzz3j20K8cNf

Richard Di Natale doesn’t know, but he has the right to know all the truth about Portugal and drugs. I recommend that at least he doesn’t say that in Portugal we haven’t no drug consumption increase. In fact, since de beginning of this century we had a gradually significant increase of the consumption of cocaine /freebase, of cannabis, of mda and similar, of alcohol misuse namely between adolescents male and female.

If there was good and very good changes, like “Portugal has seen a huge decline in all the things associated with harmful drug use”.

In truth, if the harm reduction law (2001), allowed this, we today go on without any hygienic consumption room, but we go on having several shooting galleries in several cities.

 
So we have to speak the whole truth.

Otherwise the increase of other drugs consumption, the quality of the interventions has been declining.

We also know that prior the decriminalization law (published in 2001), in fact, nobody was put in jail by the judge, because he or she was an illegal drug consumer. At the end of the 1990s, before the decriminalization, the old law was not applied to those who were consumers having their small quantity of illegal drug.

There are a few more inaccuracies or mistakes and I will have great satisfaction in sharing more information about our reality not official,  in order that you can offer to the Australians citizens a more realistic information.

I am Portuguese, I do not do politics of parties. I’m a MD psychiatrist and one of the pioneers in interventions in drug addiction in health services, working with addicts and families, directing facilities and intervening in Prevention and harm reduction. 

Since 1987 to 2008, I worked in the land and was in the director board  of the first and biggest service for drug addicts created in the Ministry of Health. I had been the technical supporter of the harm reduction law published in 2001.

If Richard Di Natale comes again to my country, I will have great satisfaction receiving him and, joined to visit some places that by the way probably it did not visited, where he will speak with citizens with whom probably he didn´t spoke. 

Greetings 
Luis Patrício

·         Collaborator of the Lisbon Harm Reduction Emergency Plan. (2000). Author of Projects on Harm Reduction (2001/2002).

·         Designated leader expert and consultant for the elaboration of the Portuguese Law of Harm Reduction and Damage Minimization (2000).

·            Author of:

§  Seven books on addiction field, two TV educational programs and one radio program on addiction field;

§  the Prevention educational Briefcase, Drug Prevention and Risk Behaviors Case (since 2003);

§  the videos at : https://www.youtube.com/user/psimedicina

§  the blogs:  http://drogaparaquesaiba.blogspot.pt/ and   http://maladaprevencao.blogspot.pt/

                            http://drugpreventioncase.blogspot.pt/and http://maletindeprevencion.blogspot.pt/

·           Opiate addiction specific clinical research & practice:

§  Acute withdrawal treatment in outpatient basis: Clonidine (1985/6), Guanfacine (1986/7) Tramadol (1990)

§  Opioid maintenance: Naltrexone oral (1989) pellets (1996). LAAM (1994), Buprenorphine (1999), Buprenorphine + Naloxone (2006).

·           Highlights in Opiate Addiction Treatment

§  Front runner for the dissemination of Naltrexone treatment in Portugal (1989), in cooperation with Professor Charles Nicolas (Centre Pierre Nicole, Paris - France);

§  Portuguese pioneer in LAAM treatment (1994-2000) with the cooperation of Professor Charles O’Brien’s team (VA, Philadelphia, USA), namely Professor Robert Greenstein.

§  Portuguese pioneer in the use of Naltrexone pellets (1996);

§  Leader of the launcher team for Buprenorfine treatment in Portugal (1999);

§  Leader of the launcher team for Buprenorphine+Naloxone treatment in Portugal (2006).

§  Portuguese representative at the Steering Committee of Quality Patient Care Network

·         Scientific presentations and lectures in Portugal and 31 other countries

Awarded Portuguese Ministry of Health for Distinguished Services, Silver Medal (2008).

Awarded EUROPAD Chimera – Zagreb (2010)

Awarded AATOD Nyswander - Dole Marie – Philadelphia (2013)

New synthetic drugs, new challenges: Reflections on 3 years of free trade and free consumption in Portugal

Conference Global Addiction 2014 ROMA

http://www.globaladdiction.org/

Roma Eventi - Fontana di Trevi

MAIN SESSION: Loyola auditorium Day 3 Thursday 26 June 2014

New synthetic drugs, new challenges: Reflections on 3 years of free trade and free consumption in Portugal. Dr. L Patricio (PT)

The offer of new synthetic drugs, has increased significantly since the beginning of this century. The dissemination and promotion of consumption through the internet is very active and has an unquestionable effectiveness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBYs2fGGWik&feature=youtu.be

The information of the composition of these substances, in most situations have no scientific credibility, but the consumer has indeed some confidence about what he or she consumes.

In Europe, the answers to counter its harmful consumption were asymmetric and staggered.

A major warnings about the risks associated with the consumption of these substances, was released by the EMCDDA in May 2010.

There were countries where the response was swift, taking early policies and technical measures considered appropriate or essential to deal with the reality of damages related with the use of these new substances. But there were also countries where the answers to the supply control or demand reduction, were more retarded.

And there were countries where access to these substances through the internet, has been strengthened by facilitating their immediate purchase in shops.

This happened in Portugal with the creation of spaces for commerce, attractive, strategically and legally placed on network and easily accessible, where the buyers will receive specific information about the products to consume. For many, the legality of this trade, seemed to convey safety for consumption.

However, the significant increase of emergency diseases by consumers, witnessed the ignorance of what was consumed. So, was the damage caused by the consumption of these substances, mostly unknown, which forced the authorities to review the permittivity and illegalize many drugs (2013).

During three years, many consumers have started and increase the fidelity to these kind of consumptions. The free offer for an intense and open consumption, moved to the offer through internet which resulted in decreased incidence.

The ignorance of consumers, has joined the lack of knowledge of many health professionals: they were not prepared to answer the damages associated with the consumption of these substances.

However, consumers still do not know in fact what they consume. And many professionals still don't know what is consumed.

In the videos that are presented, the consumers who became ill, explains these facts, and health professionals who treated patients with their psychopathology, share their reflections.