French ‘gaze on drugs is evolving. The French Observatory of Addictive Drugs and Trends (OFDT) publishes this 2023 edition of its research on “representations, opinions and perceptions on psychotropic drugs” this Thursday, July 17. Therefore, he elaborates a panorama of the opinions of the French population about drugs and public policies associated with it.
“The perceived danger is now redefined according to the habits of use and not only according to the legal status of the product,” the OFDT wrote in a press release.
Tobacco and alcohol are now more often perceived as dangerous, including low doses. On the contrary, the perceived danger of cocaine, heroine and cannabis has fallen for 25 years.
The dangers of alcohol and tobacco best recognized
According to this survey, in fact, the proportion of the French considering that the use of tobacco is dangerous “of the experiment” experienced an increase between 1999 and 2023, going from 22% to 27%. This increase is also observable with respect to the “occasional consumption” danger (1% in 1999 to 17% in 2023).
In the same trend, the French consider less and less than alcohol is only dangerous since daily consumption, but if this participation remains quite high (84% in 1999 against 71% in 2023).
Among the people interviewed by OFDT, only a quarter perceive alcohol and tobacco as drugs. On the other hand, “most of them consider these two substances as the first causes of addiction, such as illicit drugs,” can be read in the report.
63% have the feeling of being well informed about drugs
On the issue of drugs, the perceived danger of cocaine, heroine and cannabis has fallen for 25 years. Cannabis, especially because more than half (54%) of the French considered it dangerous in 1999, and this of a first experiment, against 38% in 2023.
According to the OFDT, which has carried out six type surveys since 1999, if the feeling of being well informed about drugs experienced an increase between 1999 and 2018 (from 58%to 68%), decreased by 2023 (63%). The body remarkably observes this fall in women rather than in men.
“In 10 years, the French part spontaneously cocaine between drugs whose existence they know that it has increased substantially, from 64% in 2012 to 74% in 2023,” the body details.
However, there is a real difference in the perception between consumers and those who have never consumed them. In cocaine, for example, the people who have already consumed are 74% (against “not experienced”) to consider that cocaine helps to “have fun and have fun.”
In addition, almost half (44% against 14%) estimates that it is a “means to improve their performance” when almost a quarter (24% against 6%) is “possible to live normally when consuming cocaine.”
More “risk reduction devices”, “educational measures” and prison terms
“Negative opinions regarding drug users continue in 2023 to shape representatives,” also writes the OFDT. In this sense, almost nine people interviewed in ten cocaine and heroine users as “dangerous for those around them.” In the same way, more than one in two considers that these consumers “seek to train young people.”
Cannabis benefits from a more favorable opinion since, with the exception of the latter, the French consider drug users more and more are “sick people.”
On the other hand, the survey published Thursday highlights “the adhesion to risk reduction systems, in particular the addiction stops (HSA, exis of consumption at a lower risk).” “73% support their deployment, although only 20% would accept one in their own neighborhood,” said the OFDT.
Therefore, Francis also supports the vast majority of “educational measures”, namely, in particular the withdrawals of law and internships. They also consider increasingly important to inform drug users about the less dangerous way to consume it.
On the other hand, the OFDT points out that “the opinions on the criminal response are hardened.” More than a third of those questioned consider that a prison sentence is something “good” for cannabis consumers. As a comparison, this figure was 23% in 2018.
Source: BFM TV
