The President of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ALRAA), Luís Garcia, yesterday sent a formal letter to the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, calling for an urgent review of the Drug Law to include new psychoactive substances – namely synthetic drugs that are not yet criminalized and have been circulating in the region.

In the letter, Luís Garcia warns of the continued presence in the Azores, since the summer of 2024, of substances from the synthetic cathinone family – such as NEP, 2-MMC, and 4-BMC – already identified by various regional entities within the scope of a task force dedicated to combating this phenomenon. These substances have been linked to serious behavioral changes, posing a threat to public health and community safety.

Although they have already been assessed by the European Union Agency for Drugs (EUDA), these drugs remain outside the national legal framework and are not included in the list of prohibited substances provided for in Decree-Law No. 15/93 of January 22. This allows them to circulate legally in the country, unlike in 21 of the 27 Member States of the European Union, which have adapted their national legislation.

Luís Garcia stresses the need for a swift and effective legislative response, taking into account the distinct reality of the Autonomous Regions, where the impact of these substances has been more evident due to different social, geographical, and economic dynamics.

It should be recalled that on this year’s Azores Autonomous Region Day, Luís Garcia stated that the growing problem of addiction in the Azores, in particular the use of synthetic drugs, was a real public health crisis and a cross-cutting challenge for the areas of education, justice, housing, and social protection.

The appeal to the President of the Assembly of the Republic aims to speed up the handling of the issue in the relevant parliamentary committees, with a view to adapting the national legal framework to the new threats affecting vulnerable communities, especially in the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira.

In Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.