NCJ Number
139843
Journal
International Journal on Drug Policy Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (1992) Pages: 99-104
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Despite the low rate of illicit drug use and addiction in Sweden, and that country's usually independent foreign policy, American rhetoric on the war on drugs seems to have affected Swedish drug policy in several ways: increased repression against drug users, enhanced policing powers, development of a drug policy divorced from other social policies, and adoption of the American view of international drug trafficking.
Abstract
The Swedish drug problem is a relatively new phenomenon. The number of addicts remains low and, in the three largest cities, does not seem to be increasing. Experimental adolescent drug use is declining. Hash is the most commonly used drug, followed by amphetamines; heroin and cocaine are rarely used. The number of HIV-infected drug addicts and the rates of drug-related deaths have remained fairly low. Swedish drug policy has centered on surveying/research, prevention, control, care/treatment, and international cooperation. Over the past decade, Sweden has adopted a police-oriented problem definition of drug use: all handling of drugs has been criminalized, drug use is punishable, approval of urinalysis as evidence is anticipated, and the perception of drug abusers as criminal threats is widely held. While treatment programs have expanded, there have been several negative consequences: those in greatest need are often excluded from treatment, privatization has occurred quickly, treatment is often compulsory for adults, and psychiatric theories of drug abuse are back in vogue. Swedish policies regarding HIV-infected drug abusers are, according to this author, much more restrictive than in the rest of Europe. The government does not support the distribution of clean needles and applies strict laws on contagious disease to HIV-infected persons. In the international arena, Sweden's efforts have been aimed at traditional control efforts including law enforcement and legislation. 4 references