POLAND INTRODUCES ’TREAT NOT PUNISH DRUG LAW’

[Jimmy 952]

An amendment on illegal narcotics possession law allows prosecutors to bypass courts in line with a “treat, not punish” approach to drug use.

The amendment will be put into practice as of Friday, with prosecutors able to act independently in cases of the possession of small quantities of narcotics.

Agnieszka Sieniawska, head of the Polish Drug Policy Network (PSPN), told Polish Radio’s press agency (IAR) that the new system will be quicker, cheaper and more efficient.

Meanwhile, a person arrested for possession can be immediately referred to a therapist, with prosecutors now compelled to gather information on the scale of the user’s problem.This need not take place at the police station itself.

Barbara Wilamowska from the National Bureau for Drug Prevention (KBPN) believes that the new system will lead to fewer prosecutions.

Nevertheless, penalties for drug-trafficking have been increased under the new amendment.

Two Polish Nobel Prize laureates, former president Lech Walesa and poet Wislawa Szymborska, signed a statement last month calling for lighter punishments for those arrested for personal use.

The newly formed Palikot’s Movement, a liberal party which won a surprise 10 percent share of the vote in the 9 October general election, is championing full legalisation of soft drugs.

However, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, head of the current coalition government, has declared that his party (Civic Platform) is against such a policy.

http://www.encod.org/info/POLAND-INTRODUCES-TREAT-NOT-PUNISH.html

[Elektroski Justovski 490]

Please read what i posted just minute ago... Before u was also able to get away from punish, even better because nobody send u for therapy or some. Only gate in this is one article there. The minister of Justice can specify how many is for personal use how many don't. So far it's bullshit... Ah Donald Duck is such an asshole and his grandfather was in Wermaht, he killing citizens with taxes. ;/

[lowdsrtjon 0]

Poland needs to become a more progressive country when it comes to soft drugs. It will all depend on which political party comes into power. It's sad that instead of the public having a direct say into there own drug laws it falls upon a group of politicians who probably have never smoked a bit of canabis in there lives to say what's right and how to make and administer the laws. Jon