The Drug Situation in Norway 2012. Annual report to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction – EMCDDA

Abstract

Legal framework The Coordination Reform entered into force on 1 January 2012. It will be gradually introduced over the course of the next four years. As an overriding framework, the reform is important in relation to drug and alcohol policy. The goal is to achieve better and more coherent health ser - vices through improved coordination of the pri - mary and specialist health services. The most important legislative amendments relating to the Coordination Reform are: • A new Public Health Act, which gives the municipalities greater responsibility for prevention and health-promoting work in all sectors of society • A new joint act relating to municipal health and care services Drug driving limits set With effect from 1 February 2012, the Storting introduced ‘drug driving limits’ for 20 narcotic substances and potentially intoxicating medici - nal drugs. Norway thereby became the first country in the world to set legal and sentencing limits for substances other than alcohol. The amendments to the Road Traffic Act entered into force on 22 July 2012. Among other things, the amendments are intended to ensure greater agreement between the Road Traffic Act’s provi - sions on drink driving and the regulation of driving under the influence of other intoxicating or narcotic substances.

SIRUS er norsk kontaktpunkt for EUs narkotikabyrå, EMCDDA. Alle medlemslandene i EMCDDA utarbeider hvert år en nasjonal rapport over narkotikasituasjonen etter felles retningslinjer. Rapporten omhandler data på bred basis og ny forskning på området, sammen med de viktigste endringene innen politikk, forebygging, behandling og skadereduksjon samt narkotikarelatert kriminalitet.

Dataene er i hovedsak fra 2011, mens teksten er oppdatert frem til senhøsten 2012. I årets rapport er det to nyskrevne spesialtemaer: Residental treatment for drug users av Astrid Skretting (SIRUS)og Key features of Oslo’s drug policy av Arne Schanche Andresen (Kompetansesenteret rus , Oslo kommune). Rapporten utgis kun på engelsk.