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DRUGS

Man dies after hospital mistakes stroke for drugs

A Swedish man who had suffered a stroke later died in hospital after staff mistakenly thought he was on drugs, prompting the family to file a police report.

The man, Kenny Lindqvist, 58, had the stroke on February 8th and died of a cerebral hemorrhage five days later.

Lindqvist’s family is outraged by the treatment he received at the Gävle Hospital, and has called for police intervention, with the man’s daughter, Michaela Gästgivar, labelling the hospital’s treatment as “torture” according to the Expressen newspaper.

The man was allegedly brought to hospital with a drooping face and slurred speech. He was also acting confused, and was asked by hospital staff if he had been taking pills.

Lindqvist responded that he had taken paracetamol, as his friend had given the pain-relief drug to him, and staff subsequently put him on a drip, stating his condition as “under the influence of unknown substances” (oklar intox) in the medical logbook.

“But the test results show that he was not under the influence of anything. However, they continued to think he was intoxicated for three whole days. What drug makes someone worse and worse? If he was under the influence of something, he would have perked up,” Gästgivar told the paper.

To make matters worse, family members were told they were not allowed to visit Lindqvist in hospital because they were told there was a virus going around, and there was a risk of infection.

“We told them they’d need to get security to stop us,” said Gästgivar to Expressen, adding that they suspected a stroke when they heard the symptoms.

When the family was finally united again, the daughter claims they had to fight to get their father an x-ray, and were unable to spend time with him as hospital staff thought he had a virus too, based on the man’s previous complaints that he was feeling unwell.

The hospital allegedly claimed that they had too few staff to perform the x-ray, yet Michaela Gästgivar’s persistence resulted in hospital action.

Gästgivar told the paper that she and her family were also unable to ever say a proper goodbye to their father, as staff members were quick to “drag him” from their arms due to his perceived contagious virus.

The x-ray showed that Lindqvist had had two cerebral hemorrhages, and he was rushed to Uppsala University Hospital, where further treatment proved futile.

The 58-year-old was taken off life support on Monday the 13th February, five days after the stroke, and declared brain dead by staff. He died shortly after.

Uppsala doctors claim the death could have been prevented if earlier action was taken.

Prosecutors have reported that it is highly unusual for people to call the police when it comes to hospital care, but are looking into the case.

The hospital has reported the incident to the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) according to Lex Maria, the informal name for regulations governing the reporting of injuries or incidents in the Swedish health care system.

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DRUGS

Germany should make cannabis available at pharmacies not ‘coffee shops’, says FDP boss

Germany's possible new government could well relax the country's strict cannabis laws. But FDP leader Christian Lindner says he doesn't want to go down the Netherlands route.

A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021.
A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Annette Riedl

The Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) are set to engage in coalition talks in a bid to become the next German government.  And the future of cannabis will likely be one of the topics to be thrashed out.

In drug policy, the three parties are not too far apart in their positions. So it’s possible that the drug could be decriminalised.

However, nothing is set in stone and the parties still haven’t come to a common line on the question of where and to what extent cannabis could be accessed. 

The leader of the Liberal FDP, Christian Lindner, has now come out in favour of allowing cannabis products such as hashish to be sold in a controlled manner. 

Consumers should be allowed “to purchase a quantity for their own use, for example, in a pharmacy after health education,” Lindner told a live broadcast on German daily Bild on Sunday.

Lindner said he was sceptical about the sale in “coffee shops” according to the Dutch model. “I am in favour of controlled distribution, and therefore health education must be able to take place,” he said.

READ MORE: Patients in Germany still face hurdles accessing medical marijuana

People in the Netherlands can access cannabis products in coffee shops under the country’s tolerant drugs policy. However coffee shops have to follow certain strict conditions. For instance they are not allowed to sell large quantities to an individual. 

Lindner said his main aims were about “crime and health prevention” and not with “legalising a right to intoxication”.

It’s not clear if Lindner advocates for prescription-only cannabis for medical use, or an over-the-counter model. 

The FDP previously said that they they are in favour of the creation of licensed shops. Their manifesto highlights the health benefits, tax windfalls and reallocation of police resources that legalisation would create.

The Green party also want licensed shops, as well as a whole new approach to drug control starting with the controlled legalisation of marijuana. The Greens state that “strict youth and user protection” would be the centre point of their legislation and hope to “pull the rug from under the black market”.

The SPD also want a reform of Germany’s prohibition stance – but are more cautious than the smaller parties on the legalisation aspect. They would like to initially set up pilot projects. 

READ ALSO: Why Germany could be on the brink of legalising cannabis

Controversial topic

So far, the sale of cannabis is officially banned in Germany. Possession of cannabis is also currently illegal across the entire country. Those caught carrying the substance can face anything from a fine to five years in jail.

However, the justice system generally looks away if you are caught carry small quantities for personal use unless you have a previous conviction.

The definition of personal use differs from state to state, with Berlin having the most liberal rules and Bavaria the tightest.

It is estimated that around four million people regularly use cannabis in Germany.

Representatives of police unions in Germany have warned against legalisation. They argue that cannabis is an often trivialised drug that can lead to considerable health problems and social conflicts, especially among young people.

Oliver Malchow, from the GdP police union, said that “it doesn’t make any sense to legalise another dangerous drug on top of alcohol”.

The current Ministry of Health also continues to oppose the legalisation of cannabis, a spokesperson for Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) made clear. Cannabis is a dangerous substance and therefore legalisation is not advisable, the spokesman said. 

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