Capital city of Switzerland, Bern, is considering a test run of allowing drug users to buy cocaine for recreational use, Deutsche Welle reported in what marks the latest stride in evolving international discourse on drugs.
The city’s parliament supported the novel adjustment which means relaxation of strict drug laws.
It comes after politicians and experts expressed reservations about the current complete ban which they describe as ineffective.
Recent waste water analysis revealed a high residue of the drug which indicates that about five per cent of the population uses cocaine according to Thilo Beck, head psychiatrist at the Arud Center for Addiction Medicine.
“Control and legalisation can do better than mere repression,” a member of the Bern Council, Eva Chen said. Ms Chen who is a member of the Alternative Left party said that the country has to look out for new ideas.
“The war on drugs has failed, and we have to look at new ideas,” she said.The country’s cocaine use is one of the highest in Europe with Zurich, Basel, and Geneva featuring on the list of top 10 cities battling drug use.
Addiction Switzerland, a non-governmental organisation, also affirmed that the country’s cities are experiencing a surge in the use of the drug with the price being slashed by half in the last five years making it increasingly affordable.
The deputy director at Addiction Switzerland, Frank Zobel, said the drug is currently at the cheapest prices and highest quality.
“We have a lot of cocaine in Switzerland right now, at the cheapest prices and the highest quality we have ever seen,” he said.
“You can get a dose of cocaine for about 10 francs these days, not much more than the price for a beer.”Other members of the parliament further clarified that they are looking at a “scientifically supervised pilot scheme trial.”
“We are still far away from potential legalisation, but we should look at new approaches,” Ms Chen added.
