Portugal's solution to the drug problem

Note: This post is included here in response to queries by people visiting Portugal when they learn about how effective Portugal's solution to the drug problem is proving.

Fellow Portugal-based translator Kevin Lossner led the way with his post of 6 March 2015 on Translation Tribulations entitled What's your addition?.

As Kevin mentions, the solution is nicely summarised by British journalist Johann Hari in Portugal cut addiction rates in half by connecting drug users with communities instead of jailing them posted by Yes magazine. The kicker reads:

Fifteen years ago, the Portuguese had one of the worst drug problems in Europe. So they decriminalized drugs, took money out of prisons, put it into holistic rehabilitation, and found that human connection is the antidote to addiction.

Moments after posting the above, I read Portugal addiction rates halved after community, not jail, is trialled as solution on PositiveNews.