Drug and Addiction Policy PPLU1 - Adopted
The “War on Drugs” has failed. Prohibition ties up resources and causes immense costs. The unnecessary prosecution and conviction of users of psychoactive substances not only harms society through ever-increasing costs for the police and judiciary but also pushes marginalised people into illegality and to the margins of society, instead of regulating substance use outside a black market. This promotes the black market and organised crime. Many EU member states are planning a reassessment, legalisation, or decriminalisation of cannabis, which can only be a first step towards a “New Drug and Addiction Policy”. Drug policy should first and foremost be health policy, taking into account the social and economic factors that promote drug use and addiction. A life without drugs in complete abstinence is inconceivable for most people, and freedom of the individual means being able to decide whether and which substances to consume. The state should only intervene in a regulatory way, depending on scientific findings about the danger of the substance/addiction.
Proposal for an amendment:
Delete the sentence :
A life without drugs in complete abstinence is inconceivable for most people, and freedom of the individual means being able to decide whether and which substances to consume.
And replace it with :
“A world without drugs in complete abstinence is unattainable, but access to relevant information regarding the use of drugs is key when both freedom and safety of the individual are a priority.”