Drug policy in Switzerland

Swiss drug policy aims to minimize drug use and its negative consequences. It is based on the four pillars of prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression.

With the first package of measures on drugs from 1991, the federal government reacted to the rampant drug problems and the open drug scenes in various cities and developed a new approach to drug policy that no longer tried to achieve abstinence as a primary goal. This aim was pursued and developed in the measure packages II and III, as well as the National Strategy on Addiction (2017-2024). The approach has been successful and is being emulated in various parts of the world. It is based on the four pillars prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression, in short the four-pillar policy.

Prospects for the Swiss drug policy

In its report of April 2021 - in fulfillment of a postulate by Paul Rechsteiner (17.4076) - the Federal Council outlined the current drug policy situation and decided on measures for the coming years.

The four-pillar policy

Swiss drug policy aims to reduce drug use and its negative consequences. It is based on the four pillars of prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression.

Perspectives on drug policy up to 2030

Review of the current situation and perspectives on the further development of drug policy in Switzerland

Last modification 28.04.2021

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