France: what to do about drug-related violence?
Seventeen people have been killed as a result of drug-related violence in France this year. Most recently a 15-year-old boy died in Poitiers and a five-year-old was left seriously injured in a shootout in Rennes. The violence is increasingly spreading to rural areas. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has spoken of a 'Mexicanisation' of the country and said he wants to tackle the problem by combating drug use in particular. The national press would take a different tack.
Time to legalise cannabis
The state must deprive dealers of their business model, Libération believes:
“Making adult consumers feel guilty seems out of place. ... Raising awareness of the harmful effects of excessive drug use is perfectly legitimate. But it would make much more sense in the context of state-monitored production and marketing of recreational cannabis. This is the only way to (at least partly) reduce the demand for drugs from dealers: a quality guarantee and attractive prices. The tax revenues could be used to fund a drug policy worthy of the name. It is also worth noting that none of the growing number of countries that have opted for legalisation have backtracked.”
New industries instead of urban facelifts
The country needs to get economically weak regions back on their feet, geographer Laurent Chalard urges in Le Figaro:
“The state needs to roll up its sleeves a little more to relaunch a new regional planning policy worthy of the name, one that will inspire new hope in these areas and reduce drug use in the long term. The 'cosmetic' facelift policy, with actions like the 'Heart of the City' or 'Towns of Tomorrow' initiatives, must give way to a policy of economic revitalisation that requires effective re-industrialisation, which so far has been more about rhetoric than reality. In this context, it would be better to channel efforts and money into those areas that are struggling most - smaller cities with an industrial tradition.”