AD presents its paper on drug reform to Minister Owen Bonnici

Alternattiva Demokratika officials today presented the party position on the reform in drug policy to Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.

AD Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: ” We need to move towards a more humane policy towards drug use and addiction. Not only because it’s morally the right thing to do but also because it is more successful. AD is proposing the Portuguese model because since the introduction of decriminalisation for personal use, hard drug use, crime and transmitted diseases have significantly decreased in Portugal, if it just decriminalized personal use.

Carmel Cacopardo, AD Deputy Chairperson, said that through decriminalisation Malta should shift its energies from applying punishment to drug users to tracking and punishing traffickers as well as applying more resources to prevention, harm reduction and treatment. The Portugese experience spread over more than 10 years is proof that this is a workable and humane policy. “Drug addiction,” added Cacopardo, “should be treated as a socio-medical issue and not as a criminal matter. This is the way forward.”

Drug Policy Position Paper