All drugs.
Regulated.
In pharmacies.
50 anos de guerra às drogas não reduziram o consumo.
Todas as drogas. Reguladas. Nas farmácias.
Cocaína, heroína, MDMA e outras drogas – um mercado regulado em vez do mercado negro. Sem adulterantes. Sem criminalidade de aquisição. Sem financiamento de cartéis por consumidores europeus.
6.166
Mortes por drogas UE 2021
87 Mio.
Cidadãos da UE consumiram
1,6 Mio.
Delitos de drogas UE 2023
31 Mrd. €
Mercado de drogas UE/ano
Fontes: EUDA European Drug Report, EUDA/Europol EU Drug Markets Report
"When the US ended alcohol prohibition, Al Capone's empire collapsed. Not because crime disappeared – but because the most lucrative market became legal."
Análise
Why Prohibition Has Failed
Current drug policy causes more harm than it prevents. Here is the analysis.
Health Failure
People don't die from drugs – they die from illegality. Unknown dosages, contamination, lack of medical help.
- Fentanyl Crisis: Synthetic opioids are increasingly being mixed into other substances – without users' knowledge.
- Adulterants: From synthetic cannabinoids to toxic additives – the illegal market has no quality control.
- Dosage Uncertainty: Every batch can have different potency. What was safe yesterday can be lethal today.
Objection: Doesn't regulation lead to more use?
Evidence shows the opposite: Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001 – use didn't increase, and among youth it actually decreased. The Netherlands has lower cannabis use rates than Germany despite coffeeshops.
Homelessness and rotting wounds are not inevitable.
In many European cities, necrotic wounds come from contaminated street drugs and infected injection sites. Cutting agents like lidocaine or levamisole destroy vessels and tissue.
People with alcohol dependence consume a regulated, taxed product. Even when homeless they buy legal substances without unknown additives — they do not die from adulterants, do not lose limbs to contaminated poison, and still contribute to the commons through taxes.
Regulation means: pure substances instead of street poison, medical oversight instead of necrosis, revenue instead of downstream costs.
Social Failure
Regulation means: tax revenue instead of cartel profits, professional counseling instead of anonymous street dealing, preventive healthcare instead of emergency medicine.
Today: Black Market
€31+ Mrd.
annually to cartels in the EU
With Regulation
Tax Revenue
for prevention, therapy, education
Source: EUDA/Europol EU Drug Markets Report – estimated annual revenue of the illegal EU drug market.
Stigma Prevents Help
People with addiction problems hide out of fear of social ostracism. They seek help only when it's almost too late – or not at all. In a regulated system, they could openly seek support before the spiral begins – from professionals, not on the street.
Objection: Shouldn't society reject drug use?
Rejection and prohibition are not the same. We socially reject smoking – yet tobacco is legal and regulated. The result: smoking rates have been declining for decades. Honest education and health policy work better than bans.
The Problem Today: Alcohol and Tobacco Next to Bread
Even for legal drugs our system fails: highly toxic alcohol and tobacco are sold in supermarkets next to bread. No entrance age filter, no mandatory counselling, cheap bulk offers. Serious regulation would move these products into specialised outlets with age checks and advice – exactly what we propose for all substances.
Enforcement Failure
"You cannot fight cartels while funding them."
The Prohibition Paradox:
- High Prices: Prohibition keeps prices artificially high – extreme profit margins
- Risk Priced In: Seizures and arrests are calculated business costs
- Constant Demand: 50 years of drug war haven't reduced consumption
- Violence Guaranteed: Illegal markets are regulated with guns instead of lawyers
Objection: Organized crime always exists – regulation won't solve it
True. But we choose which markets to leave them. When the US ended alcohol prohibition, Al Capone's empire collapsed. Not because crime disappeared – but because the most lucrative market became legal. The same pattern is possible.
O ponto cego
Por que o debate nunca fala sobre regulação
Em cada documentário sobre crime de drogas, ouvimos: "Não há solução." Nunca se gasta sequer meia frase considerando que a regulação real poderia desempoderar os cartéis.
O exemplo dos Países Baixos
Apesar da tolerância aos coffeeshops, os gangues de droga são extremamente poderosos, infiltram o estado e assassinam civis como advogados e jornalistas. O motivo: A cadeia de fornecimento permanece ilegal. Os coffeeshops vendem legalmente, mas a produção e o comércio grossista estão em mãos criminosas.
Um sistema pela metade mantém os cartéis vivos
A "tolerância" holandesa não é regulação – é um sistema pela metade. Enquanto a produção e o comércio grossista permanecerem ilegais, os cartéis permanecem em negócio. O dinheiro continua a fluir para o crime organizado.
O exemplo da Suécia
A Suécia escolhe o caminho oposto: repressão mais dura, mais polícia, deportações mais rápidas. O resultado? A violência de gangues permanece alta, menores são recrutados, o problema se desloca em vez de desaparecer. Bater mais forte sem regulação combate sintomas, não causas.
Regulação real significa:
- Produção legal sob controlo estatal
- Comércio grossista legal com controlo de qualidade
- Vendas legais em farmácias ou lojas licenciadas
- Os cartéis perdem todo o mercado – não apenas o comércio a retalho
Só quando toda a cadeia de fornecimento for legal e controlada é que poderemos realmente desempoderar o crime organizado.
Solution
How Regulation Works
Regulation is not promotion. We regulate dangerous things not because we want to promote them – but because control protects better than prohibition.
| Alcohol | Medications | Regulated Model | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Limit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Quality Control | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Advertising Ban | ○ | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Mandatory Consultation | — | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Medical Monitoring | — | ✓ | ✓✓ |
✓✓ = Stricter control than alcohol
The Five Pillars of Regulation
Quality Control
Pharmaceutical-grade substances with known dosing. No adulterants, no unknown additives.
Medical Support
Initial medical consultation, regular health checks, direct access to therapy options.
Age Control
Strict age verification. Dealers don't ask for ID – licensed sales points do.
Prevention Funding
Tax revenue flows into education, prevention and therapy instead of cartel coffers.
Privacy
Medical confidentiality. No central consumer registry. No data sharing with police or employers.
What Does NOT Happen
- No central consumer registry
- No data sharing with police
- No employer access
- No driver's license linking
What IS Guaranteed
- Medical confidentiality
- Independent oversight
- Purpose-limited health data
- Anonymous statistics
The Process in 4 Steps
1. Registration
Anonymous registration at a licensed sales point. Initial medical consultation.
2. Counseling
Risk education. Regular health checks. Access to therapy.
3. Sale
Pharmaceutical-grade substances are sold with defined dosing and quality control.
4. Funding
Tax revenue for prevention, therapy, research.
Taxes, Subsidies, Solidarity
Regulated sales mean: the state collects taxes, can subsidize prices if needed, and takes responsibility for vulnerable people – because less crime and no blood money are in everyone's own interest.
- Sales are taxed and finance prevention, treatment and social services.
- State price control can undercut dealers and dry up the black market.
- Less crime and no blood money are a moral self-interest for the whole society.
Evidence
International Case Studies
Regulation is not theory – it's practiced worldwide. Here are the results.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Heroin Program since 1994
Severely heroin-addicted receive pharmaceutical-grade heroin under medical supervision. The program has been running for 30 years.
The Model:
- Heroin-Assisted Treatment (HAT) for severely addicted
- Pharmaceutically pure heroin under medical supervision
- Daily visits to specialized clinics
- Integrated into comprehensive treatment program
↓↓
Acquisitive Crime
↑↑
Social Integration
↑↑
Health
Saves
Cost-Benefit
Source: Swiss Federal Office of Public Health
🇵🇹 Portugal
Decriminalization since 2001
All drugs decriminalized. Possession of small amounts is no longer a crime. Instead: referral to "Dissuasion Commissions". Focus on health, not punishment.
Low
Drug Deaths (EU comparison)
↓↓
HIV Infections
↑↑
Treatments
↓
Incarcerations
Source: EUDA, Transform Drug Policy Foundation
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Coffeeshops since 1976
"Gedoogbeleid" – Tolerance policy for cannabis. Licensed coffeeshops may sell up to 5g. Strict rules: No advertising, no minors, no hard drugs. Result: Cannabis use below EU average.
🇨🇦 Canada
Legalization since 2018
First G7 country with full cannabis legalization. Federal legalization with provincial implementation. Strict quality controls. Result: Black market continuously shrinking, tax revenue rising.
What Research Shows
Use Patterns
Adult use rises modestly, youth use remains broadly stable. Retail density, pricing and prevention are decisive.
Health & Safety
ER visits increase with edibles/high potency products. Governance (THC caps, testing) reduces risk.
Illegal Markets
Cannabis seizures at US border dropped up to 80% since 2013. But cartels shifted to fentanyl, heroin, and meth – that's why regulation must cover ALL drugs.
Scientific Sources
Global Responsibility
Europe's Footprint
Every euro for illegal drugs funds violence – somewhere in the world. Europe shares responsibility.
The Money Flow
🇪🇺 €31B/Year
↓
European Drug Market
↓
Cartel Profits
↓
Weapons
Corruption
Deforestation
Violence
Weaken Cartels
Cannabis legalization works: US border seizures dropped up to 80%. But cartels shift to other drugs – only comprehensive regulation removes all their markets.
Reduce Violence
In Mexico, over 30,000 homicides are recorded annually; organized crime contributes substantially.
Protect Environment
Illegal cocaine production drives large-scale deforestation in Colombia; chemicals contaminate rivers and groundwater.
Human Rights
Cartels use forced labor for production and transport. Women and children are exploited in production areas.
A repressão não funciona
A Suécia mostra em tempo real: mesmo as medidas mais duras não param o crime de gangues enquanto o mercado permanecer ilegal e lucrativo. O mantra "mais duro, mais rápido, deportar" não é uma solução – é combater sintomas sem curar a doença.
Affected Regions
🌎
Latin America
Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia – cartel violence, corruption
🌍
West Africa
Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Nigeria – transit routes, destabilization
🌏
Southeast Asia
Myanmar, Laos, Thailand – Golden Triangle, human trafficking
Objection: Can we really solve other countries' problems?
It's not about solving their problems – it's about not causing them. Without European demand, there would be no incentive for this violence. We know this principle from conflict minerals and fair trade.
INEGI homicide statistics · Global Organized Crime Index (Mexico) · UNODC Crop Monitoring · CBP drug seizure statistics
Geopolitical Context
UN Conventions and Europe's Options
The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and subsequent UN conventions forced countries worldwide into a prohibition regime that ignored local traditions and prioritized Western interests.
Countries that refused risked sanctions and exclusion from trade agreements.
Can Europe Resist US Pressure?
✓ Yes, and it's already happening
- Germany 2024: Cannabis legalization despite international pressure
- Netherlands: Tolerated coffeeshops for 50 years
- Portugal 2001: Decriminalization of all drugs
- Switzerland: Heroin prescription programs since 1994
Why It Works
- Economic power: The EU is the world's largest single market – the US cannot simply impose sanctions
- Precedents: Uruguay and Canada fully legalized without consequences
- US shift: 24 US states have legalized cannabis themselves – moral authority is crumbling (DISA)
The European Path
Europe doesn't need to wait for UN reforms. The path is clear:
1. Lead nationally
Individual EU countries can lead the way and develop models for regulating all drugs – step by step.
2. EU coordination
Successful national models can be harmonized through EU mechanisms.
3. Reform UN conventions
With a united EU front, the outdated conventions can be reformed in the medium term.
Objection: Won't we lose credibility by ignoring UN treaties?
The UN drug conventions are from 1961 – before the moon landing, before the internet, before the HIV crisis. They were never updated, despite overwhelming evidence against prohibition. Credibility comes from following science – not clinging to failed dogmas. The US itself no longer follows them. Why should Europe?
UN Single Convention 1961 · TNI: UN Drug Conventions · Global Commission on Drug Policy
Questions & Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Safety & Health
A evidência mostra o contrário. Portugal descriminalizou todas as drogas em 2001 – o consumo não aumentou, em jovens até diminuiu.
A situação atual é a pior proteção de menores: os traficantes não pedem identificação. Um mercado regulado com verificação rigorosa de idade protege melhor os jovens.
A Suíça fá-lo desde 1994. Dependentes graves recebem heroína farmaceuticamente pura sob supervisão médica. Resultado: criminalidade de aquisição desapareceu, saúde melhorou.
A dependência é uma doença que depende de muitos fatores – genética, trauma, situação social. O estatuto legal não é decisivo.
Crime & Security
Pelo contrário: retiramos-lhes a base do negócio. A proibição é o melhor programa de subsídios para cartéis.
A legalização do cannabis mostra: funciona. As apreensões de cannabis nas fronteiras dos EUA caíram até 80%. Mas os cartéis mudam para fentanil, heroína e metanfetamina. Só a regulação de TODAS as drogas lhes retira completamente os mercados.
Society & Morality
Enviamos um sinal honesto: as drogas são arriscadas, por isso controlamo-las. Isso é mais credível do que a hipocrisia atual onde o álcool e o tabaco são legais.
Implementation
A regulação paga-se a si mesma. Atualmente, €31+ mil milhões fluem anualmente para os cartéis – sem controlo de qualidade, sem receitas fiscais.
Existem modelos funcionais: Portugal desde 2001, programa suíço de heroína desde 1994, legalização do cannabis no Canadá desde 2018.
Critical Objections
O Estado já está no negócio das drogas – vende álcool e tabaco, que juntos causam mais de 200.000 mortes por ano na UE.
Certo: as drogas são perigosas. Mas as pessoas consomem-nas na mesma – 87 milhões de europeus fizeram-no. A questão é: encontram concentrações desconhecidas na rua – ou recebem substâncias farmaceuticamente puras com acompanhamento médico?
Os sindicatos policiais e as agências de segurança têm um interesse institucional no status quo: orçamentos, empregos, poderes dependem da "guerra às drogas".
O argumento parece lógico, mas a realidade contradiz-o: 87 milhões de europeus consumiram drogas ilegais – a barreira claramente não é alta o suficiente.
A verdade real
A regulação não é uma utopia.
É uma mudança do caos para sistemas.
O mundo depois é:
— menos visivelmente cruel
— menos especulativamente mortal
— mas também menos confortável de ignorar
Já não se pode fingir que isto "não nos diz respeito".
Take Action
Act Now
Political change starts with civic engagement. Here are concrete ways to take action.
Contact Representatives
Write to your representatives. Personal letters have impact.
Parliament → EU Parliament →Sign Petitions
Support ongoing citizens' initiatives at EU and national level.
EU Citizens' Initiatives → Bundestag Petitions →Download posters instantly
Eight black-and-white posters in the campaign style. Available in A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0 – from home printing to large format. Select size in the poster, save as PDF and print.
6,166 drug deaths
EU 2021.
Zero quality control.
87M Europeans
have used drugs.
Black market?
1.6M
Drug offenses EU 2023.
Public resources?
€31B
EU drug market per year.
Cartels cash in.
0% adulterants
guaranteed.
Only in pharmacies.
Regulation is
not a utopia.
It's a system.
You see them.
Rotting wounds.
This is prohibition.
Tip: Open poster → Print → “Save as PDF” → Set size to A3 portrait.
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Sample Letter to Representatives
Copy this letter and customize the marked sections.
Exmo.(a) [NOME], Escrevo-lhe como cidadão/cidadã preocupado/a de [CIDADE/CÍRCULO ELEITORAL]. A política atual de drogas obriga os consumidores a recorrer a mercados ilegais. Aí compram a criminosos substâncias de composição e dosagem desconhecidas – muitas vezes em condições perigosas. Todos os anos, milhares morrem por contaminações e overdoses que seriam evitáveis com controlo de qualidade. Ao mesmo tempo, mais de 30 mil milhões de euros anuais vão parar às mãos de cartéis – dinheiro que financia violência, corrupção e instabilidade nos países produtores, enquanto o Estado abdica de receitas fiscais. Em documentários e reportagens sobre crime de droga, ouvimos sempre: "Não há solução." Mas nunca se dedica nem meia frase a considerar que uma verdadeira regulação – com produção legal, grossista legal e venda legal – poderia retirar poder aos cartéis. Este ponto cego no debate tem de terminar. A solução: Um mercado totalmente regulado com venda controlada de todas as drogas em farmácias ou lojas licenciadas. Este modelo pode: • Salvar vidas através de qualidade farmacêutica e dosagem correta • Retirar todo o mercado aos cartéis – não apenas a venda a retalho • Gerar milhares de milhões em impostos para prevenção e terapia • Permitir aconselhamento e deteção precoce por profissionais qualificados Peço que apoie um mercado de drogas totalmente regulado – com proteção da saúde em vez de mercado negro. Com os melhores cumprimentos, [O SEU NOME] [A SUA MORADA]
Tips for Effective Letters
- Be Personal: Share why this issue matters to you.
- Be Specific: Ask for a specific action.
- Stay Respectful: A polite tone opens doors.
- Request a Response: Ask for their position.
- Follow Up: No response after 2-3 weeks? Write again.