Norway’s Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) flatly rejects that it is appropriate to let Oslo be a guinea pig for the decriminalization of drugs through a local drug reform. The desire for a rematch was raised by Oslo’s new city councilor for work, integration and social services, Julianne Ferskaug (V). Photo: Emilie Holtet / NTB Read more Close
NTB
26 Oct. 2023 06:30 – Updated Oct 26 2023 07:01
The plans of the new Conservative and Liberal city council in Oslo to ask the government to introduce a local drug reform in the city are met with the thumbs down from the Minister of Justice.
The Liberals’ new city councilor for work, integration and social services, Julianne Ferskaug, said Oslo newspaper on Wednesday that she wanted a rematch on the drug reform and wanted to contact Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp).
– I believe that the drug reform will come, but we know that people are harmed by us postponing it, people who do not get the support they deserve, and are met with prejudice, she said.
However, Mehl is adamant that a rematch is out of the question.
– The government, the Center Party and the Labor Party will not support the decriminalization of drugs or open up local drug reforms. Drugs are and must continue to be prohibited, both in Oslo and elsewhere in the country, says Mehl.
She points out that the government plans to present a drug reform where the aim is to provide help to serious drug addicts who need it, but at the same time maintain the ban on drugs.
– There is broad political agreement that drug addicts must receive health care rather than punishment, but the Conservative and Liberal drug reform went too far in decriminalizing drugs, says Mehl, and points out that the drug reform was voted down in the Storting.
A proposal from the Liberal Party on authority for local drug reforms was also voted down as recently as June this year.
– Nor will it be introduced in Oslo as long as the Center Party is in government, Mehl asserts.
– It is nice to get in touch with the new city council about how we can prevent drugs and help drug addicts, but decriminalization is not relevant for the government, neither in Oslo nor elsewhere, concludes the Minister of Justice.
2023-10-26 04:30:08
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