LESS JOBS MAKES FOR MORE JUNKIES

Swedish drug policy debators should be careful when they brag. A strict
narcotics policy does not necessarily lead to less drug abuse, says Leif
Lenke - lecturer in criminology.

Mass unemployment and geographical location at least equally important in
explaining why some European countries have worse narcotics problems than
others. This conclusion has been reached by criminologists Leif Lenke and
Borje Olsson. Commisioned by the Council of Europe, they have made a study
of the relationship between prevalence of narcotics and narcotics policy in
Europe.

"It is widely accepted in Sweden that a repressive policy is the only thing
which properly tackles drug abuse. We have shown that other factors have
much more signíficance" says Leif Lenke of Stockholm University.

Unemployment And Heroin

The researchers have, amongst other things, compared the number of known
heroin abusers in 14 countries with the employment situation in each
respective country. The comparison shows a definite statistical relationship
between high unemployment in, for example, Italy, Holland and Great Britain
at the beginning of the 1980's and greatly increased heroin abuse.
Countries like Sweden, with low unemployment, were better equipped to
withstand the the influx of heroin. The other risk factor that influences
drug abuse is geographic location, say the researchers. Using police
statistics of heroin seizures and drug availability in each European
country, it is possible to grade them according to vulnerablity.

The greatest influx affected Italy, France, Holland, Spain and Great
Britain. After those come Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The
least affected were Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ireland and Portugal.

Leif Lenke advocates a restrictive alcohol and narcotics policy in Sweden
and Europe. But he is critical of the smug attitude that some Swedish drug
policy debators show both at home and abroad. "I don't like that sort of
flag waving. We should not boast too much about Swedish success.

High Swedish Mortality.

For example, Sweden has had noticable difficulties in coping with heroin
problems, says Leif Lenke. We have comparitavly few heroin abusers, around
2000 - 3000. But the mortality rate of Stockholms Heroin addicts is the
highest in europe. Countries that have adopted methadone treatment and harm
reduction policies have shown better results.

In the future we must be watchful of youth unemployment says Leif Lenke. If
it continues to rise, the risk of widespread narcotics abuse will
increase. The German city of Hamburg had a policy of strict narcotics
control of the Scandinavian model in the 1980's. In 5 years, from 1986 to
1991, the number of heroin abusers rose from 2000 to 8000 despite a 10 fold
increase in arrests. What caused the narcotics explosion? According to
Leif Lenke it was the rapid rise in unemployment together with a sudden
access to cheap heroin -

"If we should be confonted with a similar situation here in Sweden and keep
it under control, only then can we turn to the rest of Europe and tell them
how clever we are."