Europe obliges Member States to prohibit new drugs more quickly

Europe wants all Member States to prohibit new drugs more quickly. To this end, the competent committee has approved a package of measures at the European Parliament. “Europe now clearly identifies psychoactive substances as drugs and is asking Member States to adjust their criminal law. This is intended to ensure that these ‘designer drugs’ disappear from the market more quickly,” says MEP Helga Stevens, who co-negotiated the new rules.

Psychoactive substances have a direct effect on the mind and can generate hallucinations for example. “In fact they are imitation drugs that have a considerably negative effect on public health. The repercussions of taking these drugs has led to the deaths of a great many people. It is high time that we intervene,” says Helga Stevens.

Europe lags behind the facts

“Because they crop up at breakneck speed in all sorts of new formats, these ‘designer drugs’ are difficult to combat. The scope of Europe’s current rules is too restricted and only focusses on ‘classic’ drugs,” Helga Stevens explains. “Right now, any hazardous substance that Europe wants to prohibit must go through a cumbersome legislative procedure. In the meantime, drug dealers have free rein, and people become seriously ill or even die. By the time the substance in question finally gets banned, a new variant has already cropped up or the manufacturers have changed their markets again. All the while, Europe continues to work with outdated information. Hopefully we’ve brought that situation to an end today,” the MEP concludes.