9. Portugal
People treated for drug abuse per million: 3,162.5
Portugal is a unique case on our list of 17 countries with the biggest drug problems in the world. The reason for this is the unique approach to fight drug abuse. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the use of drugs, including cocaine and heroin and drug addiction is treated as a medical issue rather than as a crime. Health Ministry estimated that “only” around 25,000 Portuguese use heroin which is significantly lower than the 100,000 when the policy started. According to EMCDDA data, among drug users, there is a significantly higher percentage of men than women (for heroin: 89% of men and 11% of women and when it comes to cocaine use, 80% of men and 20% of women).
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