The commander of the Lisbon Metropolitan Command of the PSP, chief superintendent Luís Elias, called for more investment in support for drug addicts, arguing that the fight against drug trafficking and consumption is not just a police matter, but also a matter of health and social welfare. In an interview with the Lusitanian news agency (Lusa), Luís Elias warned that drug trafficking and consumption are once again at the epicenter of crime in Portugal, largely associated with cocaine consumption, in addition to the increase in synthetic drugs and crack.
According to the commander, cocaine consumption has "become democratized" and is no longer an elite drug, being consumed by various social strata due to reduced prices and increased supply. Consumption is concentrated in certain locations in Lisbon and street consumption has an impact on people's feeling of insecurity.
Luís Elias recalled that consumption has been considered a public health problem since 2000 and advocated the need to invest in street teams, substitution programs, and supervised follow-up. The commander noted that there is an increase in public space consumption precisely due to lack of health response.
The chief superintendent clarified that the PSP cannot simply remove drug addicts from public spaces, as this could involve officers committing crimes. He also warned that hundreds of drug addicts in Lisbon are homeless and need social support, emphasizing that it is up to the health system and social welfare to handle these cases, and that it is not the PSP's function to resolve the problem of begging and drug addiction.
