demonstration for a sober drug policy

In the near future you will have to decide your opinion regarding the proposal of Minister Klink of Public Health to prohibit the possession and sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms (the so-called paddo’s) in the Netherlands.

As European platform of non-governmental organisations that work in favour of just and effective drug policies, we wish to ask you to vote against this proposal.

A ban on paddo’s can lead to serious negative consequences for the public health of Dutch citizens and tourists. Such a decision should be based on scientific evidence, not on moral or ideological arguments, which seems to be the case here.

Persons whose lives are affected by drugs policies suffer the deterioration of their health, the effects of exclusion and stigmatisation, and the violation of their most elementary rights due to a policy that is imposed by international organizations, -International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and by our own country. Participation of affected persons’ organisations in the design and evaluation of drugs policies is anecdotal and, when it happens, it has no influence in the decision making process.

The anti-drugs strategy has turned throughout the years into an open warfare against users. Having signed and implemented the directives of international organizations, governments deny the evidence of harm reduction policies being more just and effective. They prefer to respect political agreements without any scientific base, and some cases signed more than 40 years ago, instead of developing real policies centred on the public health, based on human rights and sensitive with the gender differences.

Includes speeches by Joep Oomen, Alun Buffry, Steve Pank-Barker, Dilys Wood.

The protection of the field and the physical integrity of the people at Chanvre-Info against the actions of criminals is your responsibility.