The director of the Operations Unit for Intervention on Addictive Behavior and Addictions in Madeira (UCAD), Nelson Carvalho, defended this Wednesday an amendment to Law 15/93 in the sense of distinguishing between trafficking and consumption of new drugs.
“We must distinguish human trafficking from consumption, we must protect the consumer who is the patient and distinguish him from the dealer. And we must fight harder against human trafficking,” said Nelson Carvalho.
The Director of UCAD spoke to the Health Committee of the Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon at the request of the PSD on the drug situation in Madeira in 2021, as outlined in the Addictive Behavior Intervention Service Annual Report. and dependencies (SICAD).
Nelson Carvalho stressed that the Assembly of the Republic needed to amend anti-narcotics law 15/93, pointing out that the ordinance “which establishes quantities to distinguish between trafficking and consumption has not been changed for 27 years.”
“That is, if I am caught with 0.1 gram of cocaine, I am considered a consumer, if I am caught with 0.1 gram of mephedrone, which is already criminalized, I am a drug dealer. It doesn’t make any sense,” he defended. .
The official, on the other hand, stressed that the installation of the Science Police Laboratory in Madeira is “extremely important”, recalling that there are “processes that wait months for the results of the substances.”
“The trip to Madeira is very good, because in a few days or even hours we will be able to identify the substances,” he said.
“With the laboratory, and if the Assembly of the Republic amends Law 15/93, which distinguishes human trafficking from consumption, it will be much easier for the police and the courts to fight human trafficking and protect consumers,” said Nelson Carvalho.
The director of UCAD also mentioned that patient samples entering the emergency department of Dr. Nelio Mendonsa from Funchal, after using these drugs, will be sent to the Judicial Police.
In this way, it will be possible to identify substances, develop appropriate therapeutic strategies, and also forward them to the early warning mechanism and therefore criminalize them faster, he explained.
Nelson Carvalho also added that Madeira is working to build a therapeutic community to treat patients.
According to the official, the Casa de Saúde São João de Deus hospital in Funchal recorded 1,807 drug-related hospitalizations, 60% of which were compulsive, and “currently, at least one person a day goes to the emergency room of the Dr. . Nelio Mendonza because of these psychoactive substances.”
In the early years, he added, “five days was enough to treat these patients,” while “currently it takes 20 days” because they are “highly addictive and powerful drugs.”
Nelson Carvalho also mentioned that in 2021 “three people were hospitalized more than 15 times at the Casa de Saúde de São João de Deus”.
Regarding the regional legislature’s ruling increasing penalties for new psychoactive substances, the director of the UCAD said he still had no data on the effectiveness of the measure, as it went into effect in March, but assured that “it’s a form of deterrence.” .
In 2012, at the initiative of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, a law was passed that provides penalties for the sale of designated new drugs that have not been criminalized.
However, on February 1, the regional parliament unanimously approved the proposal of the SDP/CDU-NP majority to increase the punishment.
The document provides for a doubling of fines for the sale of these drugs, which now range from 1,500 to 7,400 euros for individuals and up to 90,000 euros for legal entities, associated with such penalties as the closure of the establishment and the ban on access to various supports and rights. such as tax incentives, credit incentives, participation in national and international conferences, fairs and markets, and a ban on tendering for government contracts.
Nelson Carvalho recalled that the problem of new psychoactive substances has affected Madeira since 2010, calling them “extremely cheap” and easily accessible drugs.
The UCAD director felt the region “did what it had to do in terms of autonomy” to mitigate the problem, but added that the new drugs “are proof that without a good legal framework it’s very difficult.”
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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