From: [n--e--i] at [iis.ee.ethz.ch] (Matthias Neeracher) Newsgroups: alt.drugs Subject: Re: Swiss vote, please post reference Date: 19 Jun 1994 15:36:38 GMT [Marc Emery] at [mindlink.bc.ca] (Marc Emery) writes: >Can someone post any document (NEWSPAPER CLIPPING, MAG ARTICLE, ETC.) that >confirms the postings to the effect that Switzerland legalized or >otherwised permits use of heroin as of now. Its for my newsletter >(Marijuana & Hemp Newsletter) and I'd need a confirmation from a reliable >(?) source. A Swiss Usenet alt.drugs or alt.hemp person out there, can you >e-mail me info? Thanks, folks. [marc emery] at [mindlink.bc.ca.] Here is what the Zurich newspaper "Tages-Anzeiger" wrote about it. My translation follows. ------- German ------- Ja zu liberaler Drogenpolitik in BaselStadt Referendum gescheitert Die Basler Stimmbuergerinnen und Stimmbuerger lehnten am Wochenende ein Referendum gegen den Kantonsbeitrag an den Versuch zur kontrollierten Opiatabgabe an 150 schwer Drogenabhaengige deutlich ab. Die Zustimmung zum Heroinversuch des Bundes ist ein positives Plebiszit fuer die liberale kantonale Drogenpolitik insgesamt. VON FELIX MAISE, BASEL In der Volksabstimmung vom Wochenende sprachen sich 43 000 Stimmbuergerinnen und Stimmbuerger (65,6 Prozent) fuer den Kantonsbeitrag von 1,24 Millionen Franken an den Bundesversuch fuer eine kontrollierte Opiatabgabe an Drogenabhaengige aus. Der deutliche Entscheid fiel bei einer Stimmbeteiligung von 53 Prozent. Das Referendum gegen den Kantonsbeitrag, der im Januar im Grossen Rat mit ueberwaeltigendem Mehr gegen nur gerade neun Stimmen aus der Fraktion Schweizer Demokraten/Auto-Partei gesprochen worden war, galt als Test fuer die gesamte Basler Drogenpolitik. Diese zeichnet sich durch eine relativ liberale, pragmatische Haltung gegenueber den Drogenkonsumenten aus: Seit zwei Jahren bestehen ueber die Stadt verteilt drei Gassenzimmer. Gleichzeitig geht man gegen die offene Szene, vor allem die Dealer, durch aus repressiv vor. So vertrieb die Polizei kurz vor dem Urnengang abstimmungstaktisch geschickt Fixer und Dealer aus der Rheingasse, dem bevorzugten wilden Drogenumschlagplatz. --------- English --------- Liberal drug policy for the city of Basel approved Referendum failed Basel voters this weekend refused a referendum against a cantonal contribution to the experiment of controlled opiate handouts to 150 heavily dependent persons with a significant majority. (Uff! what this means is that: - The Swiss state is experimenting with providing junkies with Heroin and Cocaine. - The City of Basel wants to participate in the experiment by contributing 150 of their drug users (:-) and money. - People gathered signatures to bring the issue to a vote ("Referendum"). - Voters voted overwhelmingly against the referendum, meaning that the Basel government may go ahead with its plans. Isn't German a wonderful language). Approval of the federal Heroin experiment is a positive plebiscite for the whole liberal drug policy of the canton (Switzerland is divided in 26 cantons, one of which is Basel). In the vote this weekend, 43000 citizens (65.6%) voted in favor of the SFr. 1.24 Million (approx. $900'000) contribution to the federal experiment. Voter participation was 53%. The referendum against the cantonal contribution, which had passed parliament against only 9 votes from Swiss Democrats (a xenophobic, somewhat ecologist right wing party) and Car Party (a xenophobic, vehemently anti-ecologist right wing party), was considered a test vote for the whole drug policy of Basel. The policy takes a relatively liberal, pragmatic stand towards drug users: For the last two years, three "Alley rooms" (= rooms where shooting up, but not dealing, is tolerated) exist, distributed over the city. At the same time, a quite repressive stand is taken on the open drug scene and in particular the dealers. E.g., shortly before the vote, police in a clever voting tactics move chased junkies and dealers from the Rheingasse, the preferred illegal drug dealing point. ------------- End ----------------------- Matthias ----- Matthias Neeracher <[n--e--i] at [iis.ee.ethz.ch]> http://err.ethz.ch/members/neeri.html "I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me." -- Hunter S. Thompson