Dr. Nuno Capaz:

In our case, they are the same. The dissuasion commission is the administrative authority that we created because it is still illegal to have any illicit substance in one's possession in Portugal. Therefore, there are consequences. A procedure is opened when the police officer apprehends someone with a substance. The difference is that it is not a criminal procedure. It is an administrative offence procedure. People are referred to dissuasion commissions. That is the sense in which I have mentioned the diversion scheme. Instead of sending people to court, we are sending them to a structure under the ministry of health.