>>> Part 2 of 3...
narcotics questions".
The countries of the European Union have been moving towards
decriminalisation and even legalisation for some time now. The
recent liberalisation of German laws are only part of a general
trend that has been taking place over the entire EU.
Unfortunately Sweden joined the EU this year and has determined
to carry its crusade against drugs into Europe. Any attempt at
liberalisation will be fiercely opposed by Sweden. Their aim is
to stop and reverse the trend towards legalisation and to this
end are using the resources of the Swedish state and all their
political power in the European Parliament.
Swedish Euro-MP's are forming anti-liberalisation pressure groups
and actively lobbying for the adoption of repressive Swedish laws.
Before a crucial vote in the European Parliament on drugs policy
in September of this year, the Swedish government printed glossy
'information' packets pushing the Swedish hard line and
distributed them to all members of the European parliament.
Fortunately their propaganda didn't work and the European Parliament
voted to decriminalise personal possession of small amounts of
drugs by a close vote of 195-198. Despite this setback, the
Swedes are redoubling their efforts to stop the European moves
towards liberalisation.
Last year Sweden was instrumental in forming ECAD (European Cities
Against Drugs), whose entire budget is paid for by the Swedish
state. The general secretary of ECAD, a fanatical Swedish drug
warrior, Ake Setreus, said in April this year that the communist
Chinese policy of sending prostitutes and drug abusers to forced
labour camps is an effective way to fight drugs. Sweden has long
had a policy of committing drug abusers to forced treatment centers.
The Swedes are always well represented at international drug and
harm reduction conferences where they do their best to oppose and
discredit any talk of decriminalisation of cannabis or
liberalisation of drug laws. They distinguished themselves at the
harm reduction conference in Florence in the spring of this year by
savagely attacking speakers and gave the impression that they were
not there in order to engage in meaningful dialogue, but to beat
down any liberal arguments. According to the Finnish periodical
'Nordisk Alkohol Tidskrift' (Northern Alcohol Review) no.3 1995
many delegates were clearly upset by the behavior of the Swedes and
found it hard to take them seriously. Unfortunately some
politicians and legislators do take them seriously and this could
have dire consequences for the entire EU.
Swedish government funds are being used to finance propaganda
campaigns in European media including advertisements in European
newspapers and on MTV Europe. Foreign politicians and officials
visiting Sweden are regaled with glowing accounts of Sweden's
success in it's hard line 'war on drugs' and persuaded to support
the introduction of what they call the 'Swedish Model' to the
rest of Europe.
The reality of the 'Swedish Model' is very different from the
propaganda of the Swedish government. Their draconian laws are not
having any effect on drug use. According to the National Health
Institute in a report 11.5.95, 20% of Swedish young people in the
major cities use drugs, mostly cannabis. The chairman of one of
Swedens leading organisations for helping drug abusers, Alec
Carlberg of RFHL ( National Organisation for Helping Substance
Abusers ) issued a dire warning in the national daily newspaper
Dagans Nyheter 26.4.95 : " Sweden is entering a situation where there
is great doubt we will be able to manage. Youth unemployment is
record high and the amount of heroin in Stockholms suburbs is
escalating. Society is powerless  to stop it, we are sitting on
a powder keg".
The much vaunted compulsory treatment for drug abusers has failed
miserably. Social Physician Gunnar Agren has been researching into
the results of the Swedish compulsory treatment programme since
1987 and his results show that of those unfortunate enough to be
forced into compulsory treatment, up to 10% die of drug abuse after
they have been released. That compares to a death rate of 3% in
non-treated street users.
One area where Swedish drug laws are having a great effect is crime.
The newspaper 'Dagens Nyheter' reported 2.6.95 that drug use and
violence are escalating out of control and Sweden is heading for a
situation similar to that in the USA. A report by the
Kriminalvardsstyrelsen (Criminal Care Ministstry) 1.7.95 says serious
crime has risen 25% in Sweden since 1990 and the minister of justice,
Laila Freivalds, says there is a clear connection between the rise
in violent crime and the availability of illegal drugs and weapons. 
According to the Criminological Institute of Stockholm University
in a report 14.9.95, adult crime has risen by 80% in Sweden scince
1975. In 1975 the drug laws in Sweden were much more liberal than
they are today. The rise in crime has been parallel with the
toughening of drug laws.
The situation in the cities is becoming untenable. Crimes of
violence, mostly robbery and aggravated robbery, in the Greater
Stockholm area rose by 54% between the years 1987-1993 according to
Johannes Knutsson, a researcher at the Police High School in report
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