With the French government giving the green light to a controversial plan to open a drug "safe house" for addicts in Paris, The Local heard the views of the people who live and work near Gare du Nord, the reported location of the centre.
From a doctor who works with drug addicts who believes the scheme is essential to help addicts to a newspaper vendor who insists it will send the wrong message to children, the issue of safe houses for drug addicts is proving to be a highly divisive issue.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE VIEWS OF THOSE AROUND GARE DU NORD
Which side of the fence are you on? Share your views in the comments section below or on our Facebook page or via Twitter.
Denmark's government has struck a deal with four other parties to raise the point in a pregnancy from which a foetus can be aborted from 12 weeks to 18 weeks, in the first big change to Danish abortion law in 50 years.
The government struck the deal with the Socialist Left Party, the Red Green Alliance, the Social Liberal Party and the Alternative party, last week with the formal announcement made on Monday
“In terms of health, there is no evidence for the current week limit, nor is there anything to suggest that there will be significantly more or later abortions by moving the week limit,” Sophie Løhde, Denmark’s Minister of the Interior and Health, said in a press release announcing the deal.
The move follows the recommendations of Denmark’s Ethics Council, which in September 2023 proposed raising the term limit, pointing out that Denmark had one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Western Europe.
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Under the deal, the seven parties, together with the Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives, have also entered into an agreement to replace the five regional abortion bodies with a new national abortion board, which will be based in Aarhus.
From July 1st, 2025, this new board will be able to grant permission for abortions after the 18th week of pregnancy if there are special considerations to take into account.
The parties have also agreed to grant 15-17-year-olds the right to have an abortion without parental consent or permission from the abortion board.
Marie Bjerre, Denmark’s minister for Digitalization and Equality, said in the press release that this followed logically from the age of sexual consent, which is 15 years old in Denmark.
“Choosing whether to have an abortion is a difficult situation, and I hope that young women would get the support of their parents. But if there is disagreement, it must ultimately be the young woman’s own decision whether she wants to be a mother,” she said.
The bill will be tabled in parliament over the coming year with the changes then coming into force on June 1st, 2025.
The right to free abortion was introduced in Denmark in 1973.
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