SWISS SET TO VOTE ON DECRIMINALIZING DRUGS

Marijuana,cocaine and heroin would all be legal in Switzerland if a
referendum to decriminalize drugs passes this Sunday.

The government opposes the plan,fearing it would turn the orderly Alpine
nation into a haven for drug tourists and traffickers.Also against it are
church groups,police chiefs,social workers,doctors and other professionals
who work with addicts.

But the left-wing coalition that gathered the necessary 100,000 signatures
for the referendum says its passage would kill the street market in drugs.

The proposal would insert a clause into the constitution that says "the
consumption,cultivation or possession of drugs,and their acquisition for
personal use,is not punishable."

Checked-by: Richard Lake