In 2000 they were facing drug problems similar, if not worse, to those of the United States. Their prison system was overflowing with low-level offenders, drug addicts were afraid to ask for help for fear of facing criminal charges, and people generally felt fed up with the whole situation. Portugal's elected officials determined that something desperately needed to be done about it, so they decided to turn the issue over to a group of specialists who were diligently searching for a solution. In 2001, Portugal enacted a bold new law that effectively decriminalized (not legalized) personal drug use, and instead of ending up in prison, drug addicts are now offered treatment programs. This is in line with what the World Health Organization suggested in a recent report that countries should work towards decriminalizing behaviors such as drug use/injection, sex work, homosexual activity and sexual identities. gender non-conforming, and towards eliminating the unjust application of civil laws and regulations against people who use/inject drugs, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people (World Organization of Healthcare,