French Report Says
Drinking Worse Than Cannabis
After Chirac And Prime Minister Reject Calls To Decriminalize
(Ed. note: There have been so many reports that
have said essentially the same thing, but this one is exceptionally important and
delicious because of its source and timing. This could have a major impact in Europe
simply because of its source.I do not envy the poor wretch who had to tell Chirac, but
I would love to have seen the expression on his face. Chirac is a prohibitionist true
believer. See
New Zealand
Anti-Prohibitionist David Hadorn Responds to French President Chirac On "Banning
Drugs"
On the other hand, Prime Minister Jospin is just one more gutless politician. When he
was running for office he said he would decriminalize cannabis. He began backing down
almost at once, but that his final capitulation to prohibitionism would come just days
before this report makes his behavior all the more degrading. France is heading toward a crise
de regime. Cannabis policy is only one small part of the problem, but Jospin’s
craven behavior on this is symbolic of the whole.)
PARIS
June 17, 1998
Reuters
Flying in the face of official policy, a government-commissioned
report published on Tuesday concludes that drinking is a far worse health hazard than
smoking cannabis.
The report, by the state medical research institute INSERM as
well as foreign experts and published by Le Monde newspaper, questions French
laws that place few restrictions on drinking but ban cannabis.
It identifies alcohol, heroin and cocaine in the group of
substances most dangerous to health. Tobacco, psychotropic drugs, tranquillisers
and hallucinogens are in a second group, with cannabis well down
the list of substances categorised as posing relatively little danger.
The report, commissioned by Junior Health Minister Bernard
Kouchner, is embarrassing for the government just a few days after President Jacques
Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin rejected calls to decriminalise soft drugs.
An activist who mailed a marijuana cigarette to every French MP in a campaign to ease
tough drug laws was fined 50,000 francs ($8,400) last month.
See
Large Fine For
Man Who Sent Joints To Members Of French Parliament;
He "Presented Drugs In A Favorable Light!"
But there are few limits in France on the consumption of spirits, a well-established
tradition in this wine- and cognac-producing country. Young people are not allowed to
drink alcohol in bars but may buy it from stores.
The report said both alcohol and heroin are highly addictive both physically and
psychologically, damaging to health and encouraged dangerous social behaviour.
Heroin is the most lethal drug as it carries the added hazards of overdose and
infection through used syringes.
Alcohol and tobacco come next, associated with cancer, hepatitis and cardiovascular
ailments. Drunkenness is also seen as a major cause of suicides,
murders, traffic and workplace accidents.
But cannabis is seen as having low toxicity, little addictive power and posing only
a minor threat to social behaviour.
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