‘Unhappy Birthday’: Belgian collectives ask review of 100-year-old drug law

By Maïthé Chini / The Brussels Times

The collectives – #STOP1921 and SMART on Drugs – want a review of the scope and effectiveness of the 1921 law, “which has not been done since 1998, when a parliamentary working group was set up,” they said. “This work (…) is unavoidable, as this law is so out of step with contemporary society”.

Several arguments in favour of an evolution of the law are put forward. Indeed, for citizens’ movements, the criminalisation and repression of drug use is harmful in terms of public health and crime. “The stronger the repression, the more violence increases,” they said.

Furthermore, “the total lack of quality control of products in circulation is responsible for a substantial part of their dangerousness.” #STOP1921 and SMART on Drugs also cite the police and judicial cost of repression, which in 2015 was close to €175 million.