A Heroin User in Stockholm
Another video from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, this time in partnership with the Swedish Drug Users Union. Sweden's government is one of the world's most prohibitionist, but nevertheless has moved toward harm reduction in recent years by expanding needle exchange into a national policy. Previously needle exchange was happening only in two cities in the nation's south.
Well, there's still no needle exchange in Stockholm, according to HCLU, it's even hard to get into a methadone maintenance program, and those who do often face negative attitudes from the program's staff. Check out the video below, or here.
Location:
Stockholm
Sweden
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Sweden’s Culture is Too Weird to be a Role Model for Drug Policy
Sweden’s harsh northern climate led to cultural adaptations that color present day drug policies in Sweden.
Back in the bad old days, a Swedish family stockpiled enough supplies to survive the long, dark winters. Or else they faced the option of tossing the youngest member of their family outside where the kid would freeze to death or get eaten by wolves. I’ve been assured by several Swedes that this was not an infrequent event.
With Swedish self-reliance uppermost in its survival strategy, it’s no wonder they treat drug addicts as so much cold meat. They didn’t take kindly to alcoholics, either.
And this cultural trait exists despite the fact that Sweden is a de facto socialist country. How weird is that?
So many drug warriors point to Sweden as a model of prohibition heaven when in fact Sweden’s drug policy is nothing but a remnant of a dark attitude emerging from a desperate past. There’s nothing good about it. It’s just there. And in no way should this kind of pathological dismissal of the individual citizen be imitated by anyone else.
Giordano
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