The President of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ALRAA), Luís Garcia, today advocated “a more agile and responsive legislative and regulatory model” to combat the scourge of synthetic drugs in the Azores, stressing that the response time of institutions “cannot be slower than the time it takes to produce and sell them illegally.”

The President of the Azorean Parliament, speaking at the conference on “New Psychoactive Substances” as part of the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Judicial Police, stressed that “we are not just talking about a statistical, legal, or academic phenomenon,” pointing out that “we are talking about people, about real stories that affect services, families, and communities.”

In the opinion of President Luís Garcia, “the Judicial Police has shown competence and technical knowledge,” but “between knowing and being able to act, there is a legal and procedural gap that has been slow to be filled,” referring to the inclusion of new substances on the criminal list. This failure “has allowed a window of impunity and expansion,” aggravated by the rapid chemical mutation of these substances, which “by their nature challenge traditional mechanisms of regulation and control.” Rather than pointing fingers, he stressed that it is urgent to “turn this experience into learning” in order to act more effectively.

Despite the delay, the President of the Legislative Assembly highlighted the progress being made, namely the parliamentary processing of the initiative to criminalize new substances, with the active participation of the Region. This proposal reflects “collective awareness, political maturity, and institutional convergence.” In the Azores, where consumption is high, the urgency to act “is even greater” and must translate into an effective public strategy, he stressed.

Regarding the social impact of these substances, President Luís Garcia warned that their increased circulation in the Region has direct consequences on public health and community safety, noting that “the impacts are felt, observed, and measurable,” considering, it is therefore essential to adopt an integrated approach involving security forces, justice, health, education, the social and private sectors, governments, parliaments, universities, local authorities, families, and every citizen.

On this occasion, President Luís Garcia praised the work of the professionals who are on the front line in the fight against this scourge, often “working to the limits of their strength and resources.” He expressed his gratitude to the agents of the Judicial Police, PSP, GNR, Prison Services, as well as health professionals, psychologists, psychiatrists, first responders, educators, social workers, community leaders, and charitable institutions for the fundamental role they play, stating that “your work saves lives and is therefore essential” in the fight against drugs.

From Press Release

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