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Sweden: Drug Liberals Gaining Ground
Dagens Nyheter (Sweden)
Tuesday 17 Oct 2000 Website: http://www.dn.se/ Author: Ingrid Hedstrom DRUG LIBERALS GAINING GROUND Drug liberal ideas are gaining ground in Europe. But Sweden is seen as a symbol for the resistance against drug liberalism. Consequently the position of the Swedish government on drug issues is followed with great interest by both sides of the debate. The lines of contention in the European narcotics debate are drawn between a liberal and a restrictive view of drug policy. Those who advocate the liberal position maintain that it is impossible to banish narcotics from society and that the most important thing is to reduce harm, for example by suppyling drug abusers with clean needles and hygenic injection rooms. And the drug liberal line has been making progress the last few years. "This very pragmatic view is gaining ground," says Susanne Schardt, executive director of the drug liberal network ECDP (European Cities on Drug Policy) which has its headquarters in Frankfurt. "It is easy to be a little depressed when you look at the map of Europe," says Malou Lindholm, ex-Europarliamentarian who now works for HNN, an international network for a restrictive narcotics policy. What Susan Schardt sees as one of the greatest successes, Malou Lindholm describes as "A great cloud of depression": The German government has recently reformed its narcotics policy and has gone from a restrictive line to what is called "Harm Reduction". Narcotics issues have been moved from the interior ministry to the health ministry, cannabis has been decriminalised, the law has been changed making it possible to open injection rooms in the cities, trials are to begin with the prescription of heroin on medical grounds. "And from the European Parliament I know that what Germany does carries great weight. This causes concern for the future in the European Union," says Malou Lindholm. She is also worried by signals from the Italian government about a new narcotics strategy and is expecting new drug liberal advances in the EU in the future. But Sweden stands out as the strongest balwark for a restrictive policy. "Sweden har become a symbol for zero tolerance policy," says Susanne Schardt and adds that Sweden has very activly fought the liberal line since becoming a member of the European Union. But she is activly folowing the debate in Sweden and notes that Sweden is not going to prioritise drug issues during it's half year as European Union chairman. "Perhaps you are going to change your narcotics policy," she says hopfully. She did not know that Swedens new Minister of Justice had earlier criticised the criminalisation of narcotics consumption, but she thought it sounded like a "very promisisng development". Malou Lindholm does not believe the Swedish government is about to change the drugs policy. But she thinks it is important that Swedish politicians in leading positions, especially the Social and Justice ministers, also stand wholeheartedly behind the restrictive Swedish line. "It is extremely important that Swedish politicians put the foot down and make it clear we are not thinking of giving up the fight," she says.
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