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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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FINLAND: Drugs problem in Finland still one of mildest in European
Helsingin Sanomat
Friday 24 Nov 2006 Street prices for illegal drugs lower than before Drugs problem in Finland still one of mildest in European Union Use of illegal drugs in Finland remains significantly lower than in many other European nations, claims the annual study by the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drugs Addiction (EMCDDA), released on Thursday. The data provided for the EMCDDA study by the EU Member States and candidate countries and Norway was collected in 2004 and 2005. According to the study, cocaine, for example, which is a cause of great concern in Europe, is rare in Finland. Only one per cent of the under 24-year-olds have used it, whereas in Britain and Spain the corresponding figure is at least five times higher. Only the consumption of amphetamine in Finland is around the European average. Cannabis remains the most commonly-used illegal drug in the EU member states. One in five adults has used it at least once, whereas the percentage for the 15 to 24-year-olds varies sharply from three to 44. In Finland this figure is under ten per cent. As the use of cannabis is becoming more and more widespread, the authorities are adopting more lenient attitudes towards it. The possession of a small quantity does not always result in charges. In Belgium, for example, the possession of just one plant or three grams of cannabis for one's own use sometimes results only in an entry in the police record. In Germany, one escapes prosecution for possession is less than ten grams. The greatest problems are still linked with heroin. Even slightly out of fashion, it still causes more users to seek for treatment than any other recreational drug. Around half a million Europeans are currently in substitution treatment because of it. In Finland, instead of heroin, most opioid clients are misusing buprenorphine, which is one of the two drugs used in substitution treatment. Even without a further rise in the opioid usage, the ageing group of users will need treatment service for years, the report warns. Drugs also kill. The number of drug-related deaths is not declining, despite this being one of the goals of the European drugs strategy. Drugs are among the most common causes of death for those under 45 years of age. Lower street prices may also lead to an increse in use. The price of illegal drugs are at their lowest since 1999. For example, a pill of ecstasy cost an average EUR 25 in 1999. Today's price is three euros. Drug prices also vary appreciably between different areas. A gram of brown heroin costs EUR 12 in Turkey, EUR 141 in Sweden. Supply naturally dictates the price. In some places the amount of heroin on offer exceeds the local demand. The worldwide popularity of methamphetamine is a continued cause for worry. Within the EU, actual production of methamphetamine is for the most part limited to the Czech Republic, where it is mainly manufactured for the domestic market. Around 65 million Europeans, in other words one in five adults, have used the most common recreational drug - cannabis in its various forms - at least once. After heroin, cannabis is the second most common reason for seeking treatment. After cannabis, cocaine is the most popular drug worldwide. Its usage in Europe is not on the scale of the United States, but experts suspect that Europe is increasingly being targeted in drugs marketing efforts. Other drugs such as LSD or "acid" and hallucinogenic mushrooms are rarer. http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Drugs+problem+in+Finland+still+one+of+mildest+in+European+Union/1135223210361 -- Please sign these petitions: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/search?q=Cannabis+ WebBooks Amazing Amazon Store: http://astore.amazon.co.uk/webbooks05
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