All drugs.
Regulated.
In pharmacies.
50 years of drug war have not reduced consumption.
All Drugs. Regulated. In Pharmacies.
Cocaine, heroin, MDMA and other drugs – a regulated market instead of black market. No adulterants. No acquisitive crime. No financing of cartels by European consumers.
6.166
Drug deaths EU 2021
87 Mio.
EU citizens have used
1,6 Mio.
Drug offenses EU 2023
31 Mrd. €
EU drug market/year
Sources: EUDA European Drug Report, EUDA/Europol EU Drug Markets Report
"When the US ended alcohol prohibition, Al Capone's empire collapsed. Not because crime disappeared – but because the most lucrative market became legal."
Analysis
Why Prohibition Has Failed
Current drug policy causes more harm than it prevents. Here is the analysis.
Health Failure
People don't die from drugs – they die from illegality. Unknown dosages, contamination, lack of medical help.
- Fentanyl Crisis: Synthetic opioids are increasingly being mixed into other substances – without users' knowledge.
- Adulterants: From synthetic cannabinoids to toxic additives – the illegal market has no quality control.
- Dosage Uncertainty: Every batch can have different potency. What was safe yesterday can be lethal today.
Objection: Doesn't regulation lead to more use?
Evidence shows the opposite: Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001 – use didn't increase, and among youth it actually decreased. The Netherlands has lower cannabis use rates than Germany despite coffeeshops.
Homelessness and rotting wounds are not inevitable.
In many European cities, necrotic wounds come from contaminated street drugs and infected injection sites. Cutting agents like lidocaine or levamisole destroy vessels and tissue.
People with alcohol dependence consume a regulated, taxed product. Even when homeless they buy legal substances without unknown additives — they do not die from adulterants, do not lose limbs to contaminated poison, and still contribute to the commons through taxes.
Regulation means: pure substances instead of street poison, medical oversight instead of necrosis, revenue instead of downstream costs.
Social Failure
Regulation means: tax revenue instead of cartel profits, professional counseling instead of anonymous street dealing, preventive healthcare instead of emergency medicine.
Today: Black Market
€31+ Mrd.
annually to cartels in the EU
With Regulation
Tax Revenue
for prevention, therapy, education
Source: EUDA/Europol EU Drug Markets Report – estimated annual revenue of the illegal EU drug market.
Stigma Prevents Help
People with addiction problems hide out of fear of social ostracism. They seek help only when it's almost too late – or not at all. In a regulated system, they could openly seek support before the spiral begins – from professionals, not on the street.
Objection: Shouldn't society reject drug use?
Rejection and prohibition are not the same. We socially reject smoking – yet tobacco is legal and regulated. The result: smoking rates have been declining for decades. Honest education and health policy work better than bans.
The Problem Today: Alcohol and Tobacco Next to Bread
Even for legal drugs our system fails: highly toxic alcohol and tobacco are sold in supermarkets next to bread. No entrance age filter, no mandatory counselling, cheap bulk offers. Serious regulation would move these products into specialised outlets with age checks and advice – exactly what we propose for all substances.
Enforcement Failure
"You cannot fight cartels while funding them."
The Prohibition Paradox:
- High Prices: Prohibition keeps prices artificially high – extreme profit margins
- Risk Priced In: Seizures and arrests are calculated business costs
- Constant Demand: 50 years of drug war haven't reduced consumption
- Violence Guaranteed: Illegal markets are regulated with guns instead of lawyers
Objection: Organized crime always exists – regulation won't solve it
True. But we choose which markets to leave them. When the US ended alcohol prohibition, Al Capone's empire collapsed. Not because crime disappeared – but because the most lucrative market became legal. The same pattern is possible.
The Blind Spot
Why the Debate Never Discusses Regulation
In every documentary about drug crime, we hear: "There is no solution." Never is even half a sentence spent considering that real regulation could disempower the cartels.
The Netherlands Example
Despite coffeeshop tolerance, drug gangs are extremely powerful, infiltrate the state, and murder civilians like lawyers and journalists. The reason: The supply chain remains illegal. Coffeeshops sell legally, but production and wholesale are in criminal hands.
A Half-System Keeps Cartels Alive
Dutch "tolerance" is not regulation – it is a half-system. As long as production and wholesale remain illegal, cartels remain in business. The money keeps flowing to organized crime.
The Sweden Example
Sweden chooses the opposite path: harshest repression, more police, faster deportations. The result? Gang violence remains high, minors are recruited, the problem shifts instead of disappearing. Cracking down harder without regulation fights symptoms, not causes.
Real Regulation Means:
- Legal production under state control
- Legal wholesale with quality control
- Legal sales in pharmacies or licensed shops
- Cartels lose the entire market – not just retail sales
Only when the entire supply chain is legal and controlled can we actually disempower organized crime.
Solution
How Regulation Works
Regulation is not promotion. We regulate dangerous things not because we want to promote them – but because control protects better than prohibition.
| Alcohol | Medications | Regulated Model | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Limit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Quality Control | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Advertising Ban | ○ | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Mandatory Consultation | — | ✓ | ✓✓ |
| Medical Monitoring | — | ✓ | ✓✓ |
✓✓ = Stricter control than alcohol
The Five Pillars of Regulation
Quality Control
Pharmaceutical-grade substances with known dosing. No adulterants, no unknown additives.
Medical Support
Initial medical consultation, regular health checks, direct access to therapy options.
Age Control
Strict age verification. Dealers don't ask for ID – licensed sales points do.
Prevention Funding
Tax revenue flows into education, prevention and therapy instead of cartel coffers.
Privacy
Medical confidentiality. No central consumer registry. No data sharing with police or employers.
What Does NOT Happen
- No central consumer registry
- No data sharing with police
- No employer access
- No driver's license linking
What IS Guaranteed
- Medical confidentiality
- Independent oversight
- Purpose-limited health data
- Anonymous statistics
The Process in 4 Steps
1. Registration
Anonymous registration at a licensed sales point. Initial medical consultation.
2. Counseling
Risk education. Regular health checks. Access to therapy.
3. Sale
Pharmaceutical-grade substances are sold with defined dosing and quality control.
4. Funding
Tax revenue for prevention, therapy, research.
Taxes, Subsidies, Solidarity
Regulated sales mean: the state collects taxes, can subsidize prices if needed, and takes responsibility for vulnerable people – because less crime and no blood money are in everyone's own interest.
- Sales are taxed and finance prevention, treatment and social services.
- State price control can undercut dealers and dry up the black market.
- Less crime and no blood money are a moral self-interest for the whole society.
Evidence
International Case Studies
Regulation is not theory – it's practiced worldwide. Here are the results.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Heroin Program since 1994
Severely heroin-addicted receive pharmaceutical-grade heroin under medical supervision. The program has been running for 30 years.
The Model:
- Heroin-Assisted Treatment (HAT) for severely addicted
- Pharmaceutically pure heroin under medical supervision
- Daily visits to specialized clinics
- Integrated into comprehensive treatment program
↓↓
Acquisitive Crime
↑↑
Social Integration
↑↑
Health
Saves
Cost-Benefit
Source: Swiss Federal Office of Public Health
🇵🇹 Portugal
Decriminalization since 2001
All drugs decriminalized. Possession of small amounts is no longer a crime. Instead: referral to "Dissuasion Commissions". Focus on health, not punishment.
Low
Drug Deaths (EU comparison)
↓↓
HIV Infections
↑↑
Treatments
↓
Incarcerations
Source: EUDA, Transform Drug Policy Foundation
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Coffeeshops since 1976
"Gedoogbeleid" – Tolerance policy for cannabis. Licensed coffeeshops may sell up to 5g. Strict rules: No advertising, no minors, no hard drugs. Result: Cannabis use below EU average.
🇨🇦 Canada
Legalization since 2018
First G7 country with full cannabis legalization. Federal legalization with provincial implementation. Strict quality controls. Result: Black market continuously shrinking, tax revenue rising.
What Research Shows
Use Patterns
Adult use rises modestly, youth use remains broadly stable. Retail density, pricing and prevention are decisive.
Health & Safety
ER visits increase with edibles/high potency products. Governance (THC caps, testing) reduces risk.
Illegal Markets
Cannabis seizures at US border dropped up to 80% since 2013. But cartels shifted to fentanyl, heroin, and meth – that's why regulation must cover ALL drugs.
Scientific Sources
Global Responsibility
Europe's Footprint
Every euro for illegal drugs funds violence – somewhere in the world. Europe shares responsibility.
The Money Flow
🇪🇺 €31B/Year
↓
European Drug Market
↓
Cartel Profits
↓
Weapons
Corruption
Deforestation
Violence
Weaken Cartels
Cannabis legalization works: US border seizures dropped up to 80%. But cartels shift to other drugs – only comprehensive regulation removes all their markets.
Reduce Violence
In Mexico, over 30,000 homicides are recorded annually; organized crime contributes substantially.
Protect Environment
Illegal cocaine production drives large-scale deforestation in Colombia; chemicals contaminate rivers and groundwater.
Human Rights
Cartels use forced labor for production and transport. Women and children are exploited in production areas.
Repression Doesn't Work
Sweden shows in real-time: even the harshest measures don't stop gang crime as long as the market stays illegal and profitable. The mantra "harder, faster, deport" is not a solution – it's fighting symptoms without curing the disease.
Affected Regions
🌎
Latin America
Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia – cartel violence, corruption
🌍
West Africa
Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Nigeria – transit routes, destabilization
🌏
Southeast Asia
Myanmar, Laos, Thailand – Golden Triangle, human trafficking
Objection: Can we really solve other countries' problems?
It's not about solving their problems – it's about not causing them. Without European demand, there would be no incentive for this violence. We know this principle from conflict minerals and fair trade.
INEGI homicide statistics · Global Organized Crime Index (Mexico) · UNODC Crop Monitoring · CBP drug seizure statistics
Geopolitical Context
UN Conventions and Europe's Options
The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and subsequent UN conventions forced countries worldwide into a prohibition regime that ignored local traditions and prioritized Western interests.
Countries that refused risked sanctions and exclusion from trade agreements.
Can Europe Resist US Pressure?
✓ Yes, and it's already happening
- Germany 2024: Cannabis legalization despite international pressure
- Netherlands: Tolerated coffeeshops for 50 years
- Portugal 2001: Decriminalization of all drugs
- Switzerland: Heroin prescription programs since 1994
Why It Works
- Economic power: The EU is the world's largest single market – the US cannot simply impose sanctions
- Precedents: Uruguay and Canada fully legalized without consequences
- US shift: 24 US states have legalized cannabis themselves – moral authority is crumbling (DISA)
The European Path
Europe doesn't need to wait for UN reforms. The path is clear:
1. Lead nationally
Individual EU countries can lead the way and develop models for regulating all drugs – step by step.
2. EU coordination
Successful national models can be harmonized through EU mechanisms.
3. Reform UN conventions
With a united EU front, the outdated conventions can be reformed in the medium term.
Objection: Won't we lose credibility by ignoring UN treaties?
The UN drug conventions are from 1961 – before the moon landing, before the internet, before the HIV crisis. They were never updated, despite overwhelming evidence against prohibition. Credibility comes from following science – not clinging to failed dogmas. The US itself no longer follows them. Why should Europe?
UN Single Convention 1961 · TNI: UN Drug Conventions · Global Commission on Drug Policy
Questions & Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Safety & Health
Evidence shows the opposite. Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001 – use didn't increase, and among youth it actually decreased. The Netherlands has lower cannabis use rates than many countries with strict prohibition despite coffeeshops. Use depends on social factors, not legal status.
The current situation is the worst youth protection: dealers don't ask for ID. A regulated market with strict age verification, controlled sales points, and honest education protects youth better than a black market.
Switzerland has been doing it since 1994. Severely addicted individuals receive pharmaceutically pure heroin under medical supervision. Result: acquisitive crime disappeared, health improved, social integration possible. People go to work instead of stealing. The program saves the state money and saves lives. That's not crazy – what we're doing now is crazy.
Addiction is a disease that depends on many factors – genetics, trauma, social situation. Legal status isn't decisive. But: in a regulated system, we reach affected people earlier, can offer help, and fund prevention.
Crime & Security
On the contrary: we're removing their business foundation. Prohibition is the best support program for cartels – it guarantees high prices and monopoly profits. Regulation destroys this model. Police can focus on real crime instead of chasing users.
Cannabis legalization proves it works: US border seizures of cannabis dropped up to 80%. But cartels shifted to fentanyl, heroin, and meth. This proves: Only regulating ALL drugs fully removes their markets. This must be paired with development policy and fair supply chains.
Society & Morality
We're sending an honest message: drugs are risky, so we control them. This is more credible than the current hypocrisy where alcohol and tobacco – the most dangerous drugs – are legal while others remain banned. Young people see through contradictions. Honest education works better than prohibition propaganda.
Implementation
Regulation pays for itself. Currently €31+ billion flows annually to cartels – with no quality control, no tax revenue. With regulation of all drugs: tax revenue for prevention, therapy, and education. Early experiences with legal markets show: black market shares decline, tax revenues rise.
There are working models: Portugal since 2001, Swiss heroin program since 1994, Canadian cannabis legalization since 2018. We don't have to reinvent the wheel – we can learn from experience.
Critical Objections
The state is already in the drug business – it sells alcohol and tobacco, which together cause over 200,000 deaths per year in the EU. The question is not whether the state regulates drugs, but which ones. Currently, it leaves the most dangerous substances to cartels who have no quality control, no youth protection, and no help services. Regulation is not "playing drug dealer" – it's taking responsibility instead of looking away.
Correct: drugs are dangerous. But people consume them anyway – 87 million Europeans have done so. The question is: Do they face unknown potency and adulterants on the street, or do they get pharmaceutical-grade substances with medical supervision? In 2021, 6,166 people died in the EU from drug overdoses; risks are driven by opioids, polydrug use, variable potency and adulteration. Regulation reduces these risks through standards and counselling.
Police unions and security agencies have an institutional interest in the status quo: budgets, positions, powers depend on the "war on drugs." This is not an accusation – it's systemic logic. But police officers on the ground often say the opposite: they're frustrated chasing the same small-time users while real crime goes unaddressed. Ask officers, not officials.
The argument sounds logical, but reality contradicts it: 87 million Europeans have used illegal drugs – the barrier is clearly not high enough. And: someone in crisis finds drugs today – just adulterated ones, without counseling, without help offers. In a regulated system, the same person would receive pharmaceutical-grade substance, with mandatory initial counseling, referral to support services, and regular health checks. The pharmacy isn't the gateway to ruin – it's where help can begin. Dealers don't offer that.
The Real Truth
Regulation is not a utopia.
It is a shift from chaos to systems.
The world after is:
— less visibly cruel
— less speculatively deadly
— but also less comfortable to ignore
You can no longer pretend that none of this "concerns us".
Take Action
Act Now
Political change starts with civic engagement. Here are concrete ways to take action.
Contact Representatives
Write to your representatives. Personal letters have impact.
Parliament → EU Parliament →Sign Petitions
Support ongoing citizens' initiatives at EU and national level.
EU Citizens' Initiatives → Bundestag Petitions →Download posters instantly
Eight black-and-white posters in the campaign style. Available in A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0 – from home printing to large format. Select size in the poster, save as PDF and print.
6,166 drug deaths
EU 2021.
Zero quality control.
87M Europeans
have used drugs.
Black market?
1.6M
Drug offenses EU 2023.
Public resources?
€31B
EU drug market per year.
Cartels cash in.
0% adulterants
guaranteed.
Only in pharmacies.
Regulation is
not a utopia.
It's a system.
You see them.
Rotting wounds.
This is prohibition.
Tip: Open poster → Print → “Save as PDF” → Set size to A3 portrait.
Get it professionally printed
Use a local or online print service for high-quality posters.
Sample Letter to Representatives
Copy this letter and customize the marked sections.
Dear [NAME], I am writing to you as a concerned citizen from [CITY/CONSTITUENCY]. Current drug policy forces people who use drugs into illegal markets. There they buy substances of unknown composition and dosage from criminals – often in dangerous conditions. Every year, thousands die from contamination and overdoses that would be preventable through quality control. At the same time, over 30 billion euros annually flow into the hands of cartels – money that finances violence, corruption, and instability in producer countries, while the state foregoes tax revenue. In documentaries and reports about drug crime, we always hear: "There is no solution." Yet never is even half a sentence spent considering that real regulation – with legal production, legal wholesale, and legal sales – could disempower the cartels. This blind spot in the debate must end. The solution: A fully regulated market with controlled sale of all drugs in pharmacies or licensed specialist shops. This model can: • Save lives through pharmaceutical quality and correct dosing • Take away the entire market from cartels – not just retail sales • Generate billions in tax revenue for prevention and therapy • Enable counseling and early detection through trained professionals I ask you to advocate for a fully regulated drug market – with health protection instead of black markets. Yours sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS]
Tips for Effective Letters
- Be Personal: Share why this issue matters to you.
- Be Specific: Ask for a specific action.
- Stay Respectful: A polite tone opens doors.
- Request a Response: Ask for their position.
- Follow Up: No response after 2-3 weeks? Write again.