Drug policy
The first international treaty to control a psychoactive substance was adopted at the Brussels Conference in 1890 in the context of the regulations against slave trade,[2] and concerned alcoholic beverages.
In 1961 the nine previous drug-control treaties in force were superseded by the 1961 Single Convention,[6] which rationalized global control on drug trading and use.
[7][8] Countries commit to "protecting the health and welfare of [hu]mankind" and to combat substance abuse and addiction.
[21] Like Colombia, the Bolivian government signed onto the ATPA in 1991 and called for the forced eradication of the coca plant in the 1990s and early 2000s.
[24] President Juan Manuel Santos (2010–2018), has called for the revision of Latin American drug policy, and was open to talks about legalization.
[24] In the mid-1980s, under President León Febres-Cordero, Ecuador adopted the prohibitionist drug policy recommended by the United States.
Three of the four countries in the Andean Region were invited to the Summit: Peru, Colombia and Bolivia, with the notable absence of Ecuador.
The COIP contains many of the same rules and regulations as Law 108, but it established clear distinctions among large, medium and small drug traffickers, as well as between the mafia and rural growers, and prosecutes accordingly.
The positive results of the study led to the inclusion of heroin-assisted treatment into the services of the mandatory health insurance in 2009.
In March 2023, the health minister, Karl Lauterbach, reported a positive reaction from European Commission on the plan, and intended to bring a bill forward soon.
Drug use remains at average Western European levels and slightly lower than in English speaking countries.
[43] By agreeing to the terms of this Agreement, these countries worked in concert with the United States to fight drug trafficking and production at the source.
In return for their efforts towards eradication of the coca plant, the countries were granted U.S. tariff exemptions on certain products, such as certain types of fruit.
The offense was however changed from a criminal one, with prison a possible punishment, to an administrative one if the possessing was no more than up to ten days' supply of that substance.
Possession has remained prohibited by Portuguese law, and criminal penalties are still applied to drug growers, dealers and traffickers.
The government under Tsar Nicholas II of Russia had outlawed alcohol in 1914 (including vodka) as a temporary measure until the conclusion of the War.
The Soviet Union inherited a population with widespread drug addiction, and in the 1920s, tried to tackle it by introducing a 10-year prison sentence for drug-dealers.
Drug treatment is free of charge and provided through the health care system and the municipal social services.
Drug use that threatens the health and development of minors could force them into mandatory treatment if they don't apply voluntarily.
Among 9th year students, drug experimentation was highest in the early 1970s, falling towards a low in the late 1980s, redoubling in the 1990s to stabilize and slowly decline in 2000s.
[52][53] The national drug policy of Switzerland was developed in the early 1990s and comprises the four elements of prevention, therapy, harm reduction and prohibition.
In 2008 a popular initiative by the right wing Swiss People's Party aimed at ending the heroin program was rejected by more than two-thirds of the voters.
Between 1987 and 1992, illegal drug use and sales were permitted in Platzspitz park, Zurich, in an attempt to counter the growing heroin problem.
The sale or supply of electronic cigarettes and similar devices is also prohibited and is punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to 5 years.
[60] It is worth noting that most people arrested for possessing a small amount of substances from the V-th category are fined and not imprisoned.
309 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: "illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation or shipment of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues without the purpose of sale".
Sentence for crime:[64] On 28 August 2013, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a strategy for state policy on drugs until 2020.
Drugs considered addictive or dangerous in the United Kingdom (with the exception of tobacco and alcohol) are called "controlled substances" and regulated by law.
In the United States, illegal drugs fall into different categories and punishment for possession and dealing varies on amount and type.
The project is often criticized for its ineffectiveness and its negative impact on local farmers, but it has been effective in destroying the once-powerful drug cartels and guerrilla groups of Colombia.
