Swiss Capital Considers Regulating Recreational Cocaine Use

The Swiss capital, Bern, is considering launching a pilot program to allow the sale of cocaine for recreational use, marking a bold approach in the war on drugs that is not believed to have been tried anywhere else. The idea has been supported by the parliament in Bern but still faces opposition from the local government and will also require a change in national law. Global drug policies are evolving; for instance, the U.S. state of Oregon decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cocaine in 2021 with the aim of treating drug addiction. Additionally, several European countries, including Spain, Italy, and Portugal, no longer impose prison sentences for drug possession, including cocaine. However, no country has reached the level of the proposal being discussed in Bern. Switzerland is currently revisiting its drug policy after criticism from some politicians and experts regarding the effectiveness of its complete prohibition. The current proposal is still in its early stages and follows ongoing trials to allow the legal sale of cannabis. Eva Chen, a member of the Bern council from the Alternative Left party and a co-sponsor of the proposal, stated, "The war on drugs has failed, and we need to consider new ideas... Regulation and legalization might be more successful than mere repression."