Sweden has maybe the strictest drug laws in the EU. There was a time, however, when one could possess quite large amounts of illicit drugs without that leading to any legal consequences if the drugs were for personal use only. In 1980 this Dutch model – “it is forbidden but we don’t care about enforcing the law” – came to an end. From then on every gram, or less than a gram, took you to court.

In 1988 the drug law of Sweden was extended to include consumption of all illicit drugs. The law was revised in 1993 and gave the police the right to demand a person suspected of illegal consumption of drugs to give a urine or blood sample. The legal consequence for illegal consumption is relatively mild, normally a money fine related to the person’s income. Theoretically, up to 6 months in prison is possible but the courts never use that possibility. Based on this law, some 35 000 drug tests are taken by the police every year. These interventions by law enforcement constitute the bulk of drug crimes in Sweden today.

Strangely enough members of the Swedish police force are not required to be randomly tested for drugs. A police officer has the right to demand anyone to give a drug test based on suspicion of illegal drug use, but the police officer himself/herself is not tested. Swedish public opinion ranks the police quite high. We generally trust our 20 000 police officers to be honest and fair. We might think they should be more effective than they actually are, but we believe them to be free from corruption. Of course there are exceptions, which has been demonstrated every now and then. Among a group of 20 000 people some will fall for the temptation to use narcotic drugs. Every year there are a few policemen (as far as I know no policewoman yet) fired because of being involved with illegal drugs.

Lennart Karlsson is the head of a small drug squad in Stockholm. He has worked with drugs for almost two decades. On a few occasions he has arrested colleagues on suspicion of drug crimes, which he has done with a heavy heart. Knowing that the colleague will most likely loose his job and maybe end up in prison if the crime is severe.

Just a few days ago Lennart Karlsson wrote a long article in the magazine of the Swedish Narcotics Officers Association sharing his experiences and advocating that random drug testing must be introduced in the Swedish police force. One of the national TV-channels made this their head news with follow up interviews with responsible decision makers the next day. Naturally everyone involved was positive to Lennart Karlsson’s proposal. The National Police Board made some excuses about the lack of laws regulating drug tests among their employees, but this is no reason not to do the testing. Everywhere else on the Swedish work market this is regulated by negotiated agreements between the union and the employer, and this should be the model for the police as well.

My guess is that we will see random drug testing among the police in Sweden later this year. It is a little embarrassing that we have not seen it earlier. Thanks to Lennart Karlsson a blank space in Swedish drug policy will not be blank for much longer.

Lennart Karlsson will speak at the 3rd World Forum Against Drugs in Stockholm, May 21-23.

Per Johansson
Secretary of the Board

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