FEWER DEALERS INDICTED

Indictments for drug possession have increased dramatically at the same
time as indictments for drug dealing have halved.

This is shown by statistics from the years 1993-1997 that the National
Council for Crime Prevention have studied, says radio of Sweden's Ekot.

The reason for the increase is believed to be the more stringent
punishments for personal use of drugs seven years ago, the same time the
police was given increased authority to take a drug test whenever there was
a suspicion of a drug crime.

It is this alignment that the government and the police have chosen. The
drug user is the center of the attention. This group is easier to get to
for the police, says Peter Lindström, BRA, to ekot.

Seven years ago 139 persons where indicted for personal use of illegal
drugs, compared to 3700 five years later. Respective numbers for dealing
1993 was 1126 -- a number that had gone down to 599 in 1998.