The Portuguese Drug Report

By Natalie Fichialos
The Portuguese Drug Report

Portugal
- “Portugal is about 107 times
smaller than the United States”

- Portugal is about the same

size as Indiana.

- It has become one of western

Europe’s poorest countries in
the 19th and 20th century.
The Portuguese Drug Report

What are the Demographics of the

country?
“Portugal is different from most
other European nations in that it has
a steadily decreasing population and
is pretty anxious to have more
people immigrate there. The 2019
annual growth rate of -0.39% doesn't
sound like a big number, but
estimates say that the country would
need 75,000 immigrants each year
just to maintain the population.”
https://worldpopulationreview.com/
countries/portugal-population
The Portuguese Drug Report

What are the main illegal drugs being

smuggled into, or out of the country?
• Portugal has been described as
“essentially a country overflowing
with cocaine”

• “A small fraction stays in domestic

territory for domestic
consumption, but most of the drug
goes to central and northern
Europe, where it´s sold at much
higher prices.”
• https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/
art/cartels-colour
The Portuguese Drug Report

What are the most popular drugs

consumed?
• This is just a list of top 5 seized which helps
create a picture of what could be the most used.

• The most
consumed drug
according to a
poll in Portugal
is Cannabis.
The Portuguese Drug Report

What cartels, gangs, or mafia, if any,

are associated with the country?
• “A report from the Attorney
General’s Office (Procuraduría
General de la República – PGR, in
Spanish) of Mexico, filtered by
the local press in late 2017,
confirmed Portugal as a territory
of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán’s
[Sinaloa] cartel.”
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/cartels-colour
The Portuguese Drug Report

Do they have “Harm Reduction

Programs”?
*Click picture for video*
• They do have a harm reduction
program but it is limited
compared to some of their
European neighboring countries.
Portugal has a Needle and
Syringe Program but no drug
consumption rooms, Heroin
assisted treatment and no take
home naloxone programs.
The Portuguese Drug Report

Do they have prevention programs?

• “Different types of selective prevention
interventions including community-based
interventions for vulnerable groups, family
based interventions for vulnerable families
and interventions for vulnerable
neighborhoods have been carried out.
Indicated prevention consultations are
carried out in integrated response centers by
multidisciplinary teams. More than 20 000
prevention consultations were carried out
under PORI (Operational Plan for Integrated
Responses), targeting almost 3 000 young
people using psychoactive substances,
including psychosocial support and referral.”
https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/p
ublications/11331/portugal-cdr-2019_0.pdf
The Portuguese Drug Report

Interesting facts…
Although Cannabis is the highest consumed drug in Portugal Heroin has the highest
treatment numbers.

https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/11331/portugal-cdr-2019_0.pdf
The Portuguese Drug Report

References
• https://worldpopulationreview.c
om/countries/portugal-
population
• https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=lba9nkK-DDY
• The Cartel’s Colour | Small Wars
Journal
• https://www.emcdda.europa.eu
/system/files/publications/1133
1/portugal-cdr-2019_0.pdf