Latest Trends in French Policy on Drugs

Present French policy with respect to drugs was defined in a government programme ratified at a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Control of Drugs and Drug Abuse, held on September 14, 1995 and headed by the Prime Minister. The present government plan rests on three main lines of action, which will be examined here in their historical context. They are: reinforced control of drug trafficking, expansion of the existing health care and of prevention-related action, plus specific measures aimed at abusers under court supervision. This article draws the picture of past and current drug policy and legislation in France.