1. Legalising Drugs

2. Learning Objectives To understand the Portugal Drug Experiment and be able to explain it

3. The on going battle to legalise drugs Read the arguments for and against drug legalisation Which argument do you most agree with and why? Read a partners work and see if they have come up with the same Compare your work and answers

4. What happens when an entire country legalises drug use? Compare the effects in Mexico City and Leeds City if this happened – Consider, population size, government and lifestyles.

5. What happened? 2001 Portugal decriminalised all drugs Drugs addicts being treated dropped by half Less drug addicts Drug related diseases reduced by over 50% Addiction rates decreased Drug usage lowest in the EU

6. Watch the video clip and answer the questions http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9fxvz_portugal- experiments-in-decriminali_news http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9fxvz_portugal- experiments-in-decriminali_news – Which country decriminalised drug use and possession? – What is the difference between decriminalise and legalise? – What should be more important according to the video? Demand or Supply? – What do nations focus on, demand or supply? – What are Portugal trying to do when they find users of drugs? – According to the video has the Portugal experiment been a success or not?

7. Portugal Drug experiment Read the article and compare Portugal’s views to America’s views with this article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin- america-17716926 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin- america-17716926