It has basically remained unchanged for decades and allows for distribution monopolies operated by cocaine cartels and heroin syndicates, thus driving not only drug addicts but also new generations of vulnerable young people into their arms. Today's deadly mechanisms force addicts into the hands of criminal gangs who have developed highly professional strategies to constantly increase their number of victims. We therefore need a new, all encompassing drug policy, free of taboos, a drug policy which focuses on both the demand and the supply side. A drug policy based solely on criminal prosecution has failed throughout the world. The war on drugs . . . has failed' these are the words used by my colleague, the Mayor of Baltimore.
People can no longer close their eyes to the facts.
Throughout the world, considerable financial funds for emergency aid, therapy, counselling and education are spent. But this will merely be a drop in the bucket if, in most countries, initiatives and mediocre offers to help are bound to fail because restrictive legal frameworks prevent a new course in drug policy. Yet, the exclusively repressive drug policy of the past few years has led to still new addicts, more drug-related and more organised crime. This is why Hamburg has promoted new concepts in drug policy in the last few years. This type of fight against drugs has to allow for whatever therapy is medically indicated in each individual case.