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DRUGS

Majority of Danes want to curb drinking culture

Losing weight, exercising more and drinking less are standards on many people’s lists of New Year’s resolutions. But as Danes get ready to ring in 2015, that last item may be even more popular than usual.

Majority of Danes want to curb drinking culture
Ahead of one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, a majority of Danes said people should drink less. Photo: Colourbox
A majority of Danes think it’s time to curb the notorious drinking culture in Denmark, a country whose teenagers are found to consistently outdrink their European counterparts.
 
In a survey for Blue Cross Denmark, six out of ten respondents said that Danes should both drink less and change the way they consume alcohol. 
 
Blue Cross’s secretary-general, Christian Bjerre, welcomed the results as a sign that Danes might change their approach to alcohol and focus on quality rather than quantity. 
 
“In Denmark, you can get the feeling that you can only have fun with large amounts of alcohol. In southern Europe, there is a different approach where one drinks alcohol in moderation and looks negatively upon being drunk,” he told Ritzau. 
 
But at Aarhus University’s Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, the poll results were greeted more sceptically. 
 
“If you ask a general question about whether people should reduce their consumption, most will answer yes. But if you instead ask whether they think they should reduce their own personal consumption, then the answer is quite different,” researcher Karen Elmeland told Ritzau. 
 
Elmeland said she couldn’t foresee Danes abandoning their drinking culture outright.
 
“Since the 1960s, we’ve had a blended culture in which we both drink until we are drunk and at other times drink in moderation,” she said. 
 
She added that Danes’ drinking has fallen since the 1990s, when every Dane over the age of 14 drank an average of more than 12 litres of pure alcohol each year. That number is now at an average of 11.1 litres.  

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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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