After Emmanuel Macron’s announcements on the immediate payment of fines for drug possession, Marie Debrus, referent to Doctors of the World, denounces “the ineffectiveness of the repressive policy” in France.
“It’s always the same people, precarious, racialized, who are controlled, so it creates stigma“, denounces on franceinfo Monday June 26 Marie Debrus, referent reduction of the risks related to the use of drugs at Doctors of the World, member of the Collective for a new drug policy (CNPD). In reaction to the announcement of Emmanuel Macron on the fines for possession or consumption of cannabis that “can be paid immediately“, in bank card or cash, the CNPD published a petition on the National Assembly website on Monday asking for the decriminalization of drug use in favor of more prevention and support. The collective denounces “the ineffectiveness of the repressive policy” In France.
franceinfo: should we remove the sanctions for all drugs as you ask in the petition?
Mary Debrus : Yes, absolutely. In fact, drugs each have their own dangerousness. Moreover, if you take alcohol, which is currently legal, it is one of the most dangerous drugs and it has been documented by scientists. What is important, if we want to do prevention, is to inform people, but certainly not to divide and stigmatize certain populations of consumers.
What do the current sanctions take away from prevention?
Consumers are caricatured. It is always the same people, precarious, racialized, who are controlled, so it creates a stigma that leads people to stop talking, to not dare to talk about their consumption and ultimately to be discriminated against in health or other services and fact, not be properly supported.
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Wouldn’t decriminalizing consumption be an encouragement to consume?
No not at all. It is a question of being realistic and speaking with precise information, based on scientific data, that it is not a question of overvaluing the use of drugs, as Mr. Macron seems to say here. It’s absolutely not that, but people consume for specific reasons and you have to hear it, there is no other choice. On the other hand, it is necessary to provide reliable and correct information on the dangers of drug consumption.