Switzerland

Drug Laws

Swiss drug laws are consistent with mainstream European standards, and have been so for nearly a century. The 1924 Narcotics Act brought the Swiss into compliance with the International Opium Convention of 1912, which banned opium, coca, and their derivatives morphine, heroin, and cocaine. In 1951 the Federal Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act (commonly known as the Narcotics Act) prohibited the growing, manufacture, sale, distribution and possession of opiates, coca derivatives, and cannabis. The Narcotics Act limited the use of narcotics to legitimate medical purposes and allowed for stricter controls over the use and trafficking of illicit drugs. The Narcotics Act was revised again in 1970 to better align Swiss law with the stipulations of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. A 1975 revision to the Narcotics Act allowed the provision of medical and social assistance to addicts. In addition, the revisions established differentiated penalties for drug users and drug traffickers. A 1996 change established control of raw materials through import/export permits and outright bans on growing, manufacturing, importing, or selling some substances. Violators face prison or fines, while petty offenders may receive a reprimand only. Personal use or free shared use of small amounts is not punished.

When use of psychoactive drugs created Switzerland's first drug crisis in the late 1960s, the lack of a federal approach led to inconsistent responses at the canton level. Some cantons cracked down on trafficking, some implemented youth programs, and some tried abstinence-based treatment alongside the methadone programs. Some remained extremely if not excessively tolerant.

When human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic struck Switzerland in the 1980s, canton and city governments established social service programs to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, including needle exchange programs for those who injected drugs. Still, Switzerland lacked a consistent federal approach. Although the national policy emphasized prevention, therapy, and law enforcement, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (SFOPH) backed these programs as effective against AIDS.

Prevention and Treatment

In 1991 the Swiss government implemented ProMeDro, a national policy that stressed harm reduction over punishment. ProMeDro sought to reduce the number of new users, prevent drug dependency, reverse addiction through social and therapeutic measures, improve living conditions for users, keep users integrated into the community, and reduce harm. Between 1991 and 1999 the SFOPH spent about $14.8 million a year on nearly 300 projects and programs under ProMeDro. ProMeDro was renewed in 1998 for four years and budgeted at about $17.7 million a year. The focus was on prevention, early intervention, coordinated and consolidated treatments and other measures, monitoring of conditions and publicizing of studies and improved quality management overall. ProMeDro III in 2006 sought tighter coordination through its planned end in 2011.

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