20 Dec, 2023 @ 14:00
2 mins read

This European city could legalise COCAINE in a desperate bid to stop cartels in Spain and the Lowlands from flooding the area with the drug

Popcorn Annd Cocaine Story Photo 1
A recent cocaine bust in Spain saw cartels hide the drug in shipments of popcorn

SUPER wealthy Switzerland is considering a groundbreaking proposal to legalise cocaine for recreational use.

In what would be a first-of-its-kind pilot scheme, the Swiss capital Bern is examining the possibility, although it faces opposition from the city government and would require a change in national law.

Bern City Council member Eva Chen has co-sponsored the bill after admitting that ‘the war on drugs has failed’.

“Control and legalisation can do better than mere repression,” she stated, suggesting a more regulated approach could be more effective.

Popcorn Annd Cocaine Story Photo 1
A recent cocaine bust in Spain saw cartels hide the drug in shipments of popcorn

Recent years have seen Europe flooded with cocaine coming in through Spanish – as well as Dutch, Belgian and other – ports, with 2023 set to break records.

Over 11 tonnes were seized in Galicia and Valencia in one just month in Spain alone in the run up to Christmas.

The proposal follows Switzerland’s reevaluation of its blanket ban on recreational drug use.

Some politicians and experts have slammed the current policies in light of the Alpine country’s skyrocketing cocaine use.

Switzerland has one of the highest levels of cocaine use in Europe, with cities like Zurich, Basel, and Geneva ranking in Europe’s top ten for consumption. 

Cocaine distributors moved supplies in hidden car compartments across Spain's Costa Blanca
Bern is considering a proposal to legalise recreational cocaine use. Cordon Press image

The price of cocaine in the country has halved in the last five years, making a line of coke as affordable as a beer, according to Frank Zobel, deputy director at Addiction Switzerland.

The proposed pilot scheme, still in the planning stages, would be scientifically supervised. 

It aims to address the potential dangers associated with cocaine, which the Swiss government officially claims can be life-threatening to both first-time and long-term users. 

The Bern government has also cautioned about the risks of overdose and individual intolerance even to small amounts.

However, this nannying approach has been met with criticism by experts who argue that people are not interested in such messaging.

Thilo Beck, from the Arud Zentrum for Addiction Medicine, Switzerland’s largest centre for addiction medicine, called for a more ‘grown up’ policy towards cocaine.

“Cocaine isn’t healthy – but the reality is that people use it,” said Beck. “We can’t change that, so we should try to ensure people use it in the safest, least damaging way.”

Bern’s education, social affairs, and sport directorate is preparing a report on the feasibility of the trial. However, its actual implementation remains uncertain. 

For the pilot to proceed, the Swiss parliament would need to amend the law banning recreational cocaine use, a process that could take years.

But were it to be implemented, many countries across Europe would be sure to pay close attention.

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Walter Finch

Walter Finch, who comes from a background in video and photography, is keen on reporting on and investigating organised crime, corruption and abuse of power. He is fascinated by the nexus between politics, business and law-breaking, as well as other wider trends that affect society.
Born in London but having lived in six countries, he is well-travelled and worldly. He studied Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and earned his diploma in journalism from London's renowned News Associates during the Covid era.
He got his first break in the business working on the Foreign News desk of the Daily Mail's online arm, where he also helped out on the video desk.
He then decided to escape the confines of London and returned to Spain in 2022, having previously lived in Barcelona for many years.
He took up up a reporter role with the Olive Press Newspaper and today he is based in La Linea de la Concepcion at the heart of a global chokepoint and crucial maritime hub, where he edits the Olive Press Gibraltar edition.
He is also the deputy news editor across all editions of the newspaper.

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