SWISS DEBATE WHETHER TO LEGALISE CANNABIS

Alcohol And Tobacco Pose Far Greater Danger, Way Advocates Of Cannabis
Legalisation

The Swiss government, which already has one of the most liberal drug
policies in the world, wants to decriminalise consumption of cannabis and
put state provision of heroin to addicts on a permanent legal footing.

The ruling four-party coalition hopes the proposed revision of its drug law
will close loopholes and establish a constitutional basis for Switzerland's
four-pillar policy of repression, prevention, treatment, and harm
reduction--including heroin prescription--which is widely credited with
bringing down the mortality rate, crime, and deprivation associated with
severe addiction.

Ahead of a scheduled parliamentary vote at the end of September, passions
are running particularly high about the proposal to legalise consumption
and--under certain circumstances-- production and sale of cannabis.

An estimated 500 000 people--the Swiss population is 7 million--are
occasional or regular consumers of cannabis, and "joints" are openly smoked
in parks, outside schools, and on trains. The government argues that its
police resources are too stretched to enforce outdated laws.

"For the sake of our own credibility we cannot allow that alcohol and
tobacco, which kill 10000 people a year in Switzerland, are sold with all
kinds of marketing wizardry, while consumption of cannabis, a less
dangerous product, is a legal offence", said the Swiss Institute for
Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, an independent research and
counselling organisation.

Ahead of general elections scheduled for Oct 24, drug policy has become a
political football. The right-wing Swiss People's Party is expected to make
considerable gains, and this has led to a more conservative tone in the
drug law debate--with a strong chance that the government package may be
thrown out.

"The whole issue has become too emotional and politicised", said Felix
Gutzwiller of Zurich University's Institute for Social and Preventive
Medicines, and one of the pioneering forces behind Swiss drug policy.

Regardless of the outcome of the cannabis vote, Gutzwiller told The Lancet
that this would not change Switzerland's four-pillar policy or undermine
its injectable heroin prescription programme. This currently benefits about
1300 addicts--all of whom have longstanding, chronic heroin dependency,
have made several unsuccessful therapy attempts, and have clear health and
social problems.

Gutzwiller and other advocates say there is growing international
recognition of the positive effect of the heroin provision, as shown by a
spectacular fall in the number of overdose-related fatalities. Last year
there were a reported 167 deaths, down 15 2% on 2002 and the lowest level
for 16 years. (In 1994, one of the peak years, 399 people died of drug abuse.)

"The programme is not a perfect solution, but it's better than nothing",
Health Minister Pascal Couchepin told parliament earlier this year.

The cost is covered by Swiss health insurance to the tune of SwF11-14 5
million (US$8-10 5 million) per year because--according to Couchepin--
"heroin addiction is an illness and controlled provision is a therapy".

Critics disagree, with the UN International Narcotics Control Board saying
that Switzerland and like-minded countries are "aiding and abetting drug
abuse and possibly illicit drug trafficking, through drug-injection rooms
and similar outlets."

Continuing the pioneering approach, the cities of Basel and Bern are due to
begin a 3-month pilot project this autumn to prescribe the attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) to 60 cocaine
addicts in recognition of the trend towards consumption of heroin and
cocaine cocktails and the fact that standard heroin treatment is not
effective for cocaine addicts.

The health ministry rejected a request by Zurich's social department to
test controlled prescription of cocaine itself.

Gutzwiller also said he found cocaine prescription was premature and that
the methylphenidate experiments were a more reasonable approach.

"Switzerland is a small country and so we can't go too fast", he said. "Our
drug policy has to be based on evidence rather than adventure."