Trønderdebatt 13 September 2024: Is prohibition the solution to everything? By John Melhus, international counsellor at the Association for Humane Drug Policy.
The debate about legal regulation of intoxicants has flared up, and with good reason. We have long regulated both tobacco and alcohol in a way that most people consider sensible, while the ban on illegal drugs has proved to be ineffective as we have little control over which drugs are made available, at what price or age group.
We are nowseeing the same pattern repeated with nicotine-containing vapour or vape products here in Norway, where we are making the same fundamental mistakes: We think that bans will reduce use and protect youth, but the reality is far more complex.
In July ,a new ban came into force prohibiting the sale of non-tobacco flavoured vape products. The result? Several vape shops now face an uncertain future and one shop in Stjørdal was forced to close its doors as 80 per cent of customers preferred other flavours. This is not only an unfortunate situation for the business community, but it also has minimal effect on the use of vape among young people.
Young people have already found ways around accessibility, through social media, from abroad and illegal channels. While adults used to be able to buy vape products in shops with an 18-year age limit, they too are now forced to resort to black markets, where no one checks the age, and the products are without regulation or quality control.
This is a problematic development. It’s one thing for young people to be able to buy vape products outside of shops, but introducing measures that could ultimately blacken the entire market is even more worrying.
A few days ago, we read an alarming headline in NRK: “Not realising how dangerous it is: Young people as young as 10 smoke e-cigarettes“. The government’s response? To stop the online sale of nicotine. But what about the 130,000 Norwegians who have stopped smoking and started vaping and now have no controlled outlets to use? Where will they get their e-cigarettes now? Unfortunately, the answer from the authorities seems to be the same as always: Prohibition.
History has shown us time and time again that bans on drugs don’t work. The prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s was a failure, and we see the same with today’s prohibition of other drugs. The result is a lucrative market for criminal organisations, while exposing consumers and society to greater risk and harm.
Incontrast,a regulated and controlled approach to intoxicants, including vape products, gives us the opportunity to manage the market responsibly. By setting prices, age limits and quality requirements, we can reduce risk and prevent unwanted consequences. If something doesn’t work, the regulations can be adjusted based on ongoing evaluations.
On the other hand,when the market is black and forbidden, we lose these control options and are left without the tools to adjust.
We must ask ourselves: Should it really be easier to get hold of illegal drugs than legal ones, as many people experience today? The sale and availability of drugs should be handled by professionals and authorities, not by criminal organisations. Let’s learn from history and realise that prohibition is not always the solution – it’s evaluation, regulation and control that can make a real difference, also when it comes to vape.
Read the post on Trønderdebatt here.
