Drug Use in Denmark

Abstract

Drug use among the young and public consciousness of it has spread throughout Denmark during the last third of the sixties. Various legislative and administrative counsels exist on national and regional levels with the task of following and regulating the development. Legally, Denmark until recently has been one of the most liberal countries in the Western hemisphere with respect to drug possession and trade, but since 1969 a sharper course has been followed toward the “heavier” part of the drug trade.

Regular use of illegal drugs is still very rare in Denmark, but the trying of hash is not an uncommon phenomenon among youth in the standard population. Other drugs such as the stronger hallucinogens, opiates, and amphetamines seem very modestly appreciated by the young. Contrary to “classical” euphomania, the recent influx of hash (and other drugs) seems to have occurred in all social groups; even more distinctly in the upper socioeconomic groups than in the middle or lower status layers. There is no evidence to suggest that it should primarily be the less privileged among those trying drugs that continue to use them.

The drug users in prisons and welfare institutions seem to be growing younger. The fear of an invasion of heavy amphetamine abuse, like the ones seen from time to time since World War II in the neighboring country of Sweden, has not so far been found to be justified. On the contrary, findings in institutions suggest that the development in drug use is moving towards morphinism rather than abuse of amphetamines. Drug users in prisons tend to be relatively privileged socio-economically when compared to other prisoners, but this tendency seems to be growing less pronounced. Also, a hypothesis of drug criminality, as distinctly disassociated from other types of criminality must be deemed invalid on the present Danish situation.