Call for truce in war on drugs

The idea of legalising drugs has made the headlines of several European dailies – The Independent of London, Tageszeitung in Berlin and Libération in Paris – following the June 2 publication of a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy calling for the end to the “war on drugs”. The report also called for a global debate on alternative policies. The authors of the report (former presidents, well-known writers, UN officials) must be heard because “they are neither raging pot-heads nor free-market zealots,” Libération argues. “Repression and prohibition of users and dealers has failed,” the paper continues, noting that considering only repression or depenalisation is not the solution either. “Only differentiating between different categories of users, of which many are ill, can begin to provide a solution that is both legal and morally responsible,” concludes Libération.