The Norwegian government wants to reform drug policy so that possession and less use of drugs is decriminalized. The purpose of the reform is to shift the focus from punishment to care for addicts. But the opposition calls the proposal "a gift package for the gangs".
On Friday, Norway's Minister of Education Guri Melby, from the Liberal Left (V) and Minister of Health Bent Høie, from the Conservative Conservatives (H), presented the Government's proposal for a new drug policy. According to the so-called "drug reform", the purchase, possession and own use of small amounts of drugs should no longer be punishable. The aim of the reform is to minimize the stigma of drug addicts seeking help and providing care to those who want it, inspired by the drug policy pursued in Portugal since 2001.
- Ten years of current drug policy have taught us that punishment does not work, but on the contrary can make things worse, says Guri Melby at a press conference.
- The zero vision of a drug-free Norway will be replaced by a more humane goal. Human rights must form the basis of all drug policy, she continues.
If the proposal is adopted , it will no longer be a criminal offense to carry, for example, five grams of cocaine, heroin and amphetamines, one gram of MDMA and up to 10 grams of cannabis. The Norwegian government emphasizes that this is a decriminalization and not a legalization of drugs.
- We still signal that drugs are banned, but that health and medical care take precedence. All other drug use and possession must be punished as is already done today, says Bent Høie.
The reform proposal is based on the conclusions of the Norwegian Drug Reform Committee, which in addition to the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs has also proposed mandatory follow-up of users who have sought care. The third governing party, the Christian People's Party (KRF), did not participate in the press conference and does not support the reform proposal, but will vote for it in the Storting as a compromise. The party hopes that the opposition will demand changes in the proposal and wants, among other things, to keep the punishment for possession and use of small amounts of drugs, writes VG .
The Center Party follows the same line as KRF and calls the reform proposal "a gift package for the gangs". The Norwegian Nurses' Association writes in a statement that it fears that decriminalization will lead to increased abuse among young people.
- We who work with young people in healthcare know that it takes a long time before they admit that they have problems with drugs, says the association's chairman Ann Karin Swang to VG.[/quote]
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