Switzerland has one of the highest levels of cocaine use in Europe.
The capital of Switzerland is considering launching what's believed to be the world's first scheme that would allow cocaine to be legally sold for recreational use. According to the New York Post, the parliament in Bern have supported this pilot program in an attempt to make the country's rampant use of drugs safer. However, this scheme could still be blocked as it needs to overcome opposition from the city and also requires a change of federal law to become a reality.
As per the Post, this proposal comes as Switzerland is re-examining its stance on cocaine after several experts criticised complete bans as ineffective. They argued that legalisation allows for greater control over the market and safer usage if people use the drugs illegally anyway.
"The war on drugs has failed, and we have to look at new ideas," said Eva Chen, a Bern council member from the Alternative Left Party who co-sponsored the proposal. "Control and legalization can do better than mere repression," she added.
However, Ms Chen also acknowledged that the pilot scheme is still far from implementation as important details like who would sell the drug and how it would be sourced are still under development. "We are still far away from potential legalisation, but we should look at new approaches," she said, adding, "That is why we are calling for a scientifically supervised pilot scheme trial".
Switzerland's education, social affairs and sports directorate is currently drafting a report on the possible trial, the outlet reported. But still many are weary of legalising the drug as it is highly addictive and even deadly. "Cocaine can be life-threatening for both first-time and long-term users. The consequences of an overdose, but also individual intolerance to even the smallest amounts, can lead to death," the Bern government said.
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Notably, the Post reported that Switzerland has one of the highest levels of cocaine use in Europe, while Zurich, Basel and Geneva are all among the top 10 cities for cocaine use in Europe. Drug use in these cities has only been increasing as prices of cocaine have dropped dramatically over the last five years, according to the group Addiction Switzerland.
"We have a lot of cocaine in Switzerland right now, at the cheapest prices and the highest quality we have ever seen," said Frank Zobel, deputy director at Addiction Switzerland. "You can get a dose of cocaine for about 10 francs these days, not much more than the price for a beer," Mr Zobel added.