Switzerland’s capital is considering launching a pilot program to test the legal sale of cocaine for recreational use in a never-before-seen attempt to make rampant use of the drug safer in the country.
Bern’s parliament supports the pilot program, but the legislation will still have to overcome opposition from the city and requires a change to federal law to become a reality.
The proposal comes as more and more countries and states in the United States are shifting their focus toward the so-called “war on drugs” with policies that include decriminalization and legal recreational use of marijuana.
Supporters argue that legalization allows for greater control over the market and safer use if people use the drugs illegally anyway.
“The war on drugs has failed and we have to look for new ideas,” said Eva Chen, a Bern council member of the Left Alternative Party that co-sponsored the proposal.
“Control and legalization can be better than mere repression.”
Supporters argue that legalization allows for greater control over the market and safer use if people use the drugs illegally anyway. REUTERS
Several European countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal no longer impose prison sentences for drug possession charges, including possession of cocaine.
But the proposal in Bern would be the first to legalize the white powder for recreational use, a radical step in drug policy if approved.
Wealthy Swiss cities have some of the highest amounts of cocaine use among European cities, according to wastewater studies analyzing the presence of illicit drugs. Zurich, Basel and Geneva are among the 10 cities with the highest cocaine consumption in Europe.
Officials believe the pilot program to legalize cocaine for recreational use will make drug use safer. pidjoe
According to the group Addiction Switzerland, drug use in those cities and in Bern has only increased, as cocaine prices have fallen dramatically over the past five years.
“We have a lot of cocaine in Switzerland right now, at the cheapest prices and with the best quality we have ever seen,” said Frank Zobel, deputy director of Addiction Switzerland.
“Nowadays you can get a dose of cocaine for about 10 francs, not much more than the price of a beer.”
The pilot program is still far from being implemented and important details such as who would sell the drug and how it would be obtained are still being developed, according to Chen.
“We are still far from possible legalization, but we should look for new approaches,” he said. “That is why we call for a scientifically supervised pilot trial to be carried out.”
The Directorate of Education, Social Affairs and Sports is currently drafting a report on the possible trial.
Bern’s parliament supports the pilot project, but it will still need to overcome opposition from the city and requires a change to federal law to become a reality. free artist
Still, many are tired of legalizing this drug that can be highly addictive and even deadly.
“Cocaine can be life-threatening for both first-time users and long-term users. The consequences of an overdose, but also individual intolerance to even smaller quantities, can lead to death,” the Bern government stated.
Drug abuse experts outside the government also have different opinions.
Cocaine is not comparable to legal substances such as alcohol or cannabis due to its increased risk of complications such as heart damage, stroke, depression and anxiety, according to Boris Quednow, group leader at the Center for Psychiatric Research at the University of Zurich.
“Cocaine is one of the most addictive substances known,” Quednow said.
Others say that if people are already using it in record numbers, legalization would allow the government to at least ensure safe use.
“Cocaine is unhealthy, but the reality is that people use it,” says Thilo Beck of the Arud Center for Addiction Medicine. “We can’t change that, so we have to try to ensure that people use it in the safest and least harmful way.”
Parliament would also need to change the law prohibiting the use of cocaine before any pilot can take off.
With post cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn