Drug policy of the Soviet Union

Last updated

The drug policy of the Soviet Union changed little throughout the existence of the state, other than slowly becoming more repressive, [1] [2] [3] although some differences in penalties existed in the different Union Republics. [4] However, the prevalence of drug addiction remained reportedly low as first claimed by Soviet authorities [5] [6] which later (under Mikhail Gorbachev) acknowledged a much larger problem; [7] [8] at least to drugs other than alcohol or tobacco; [4] [9] however, the rates of addiction increased in post-Soviet states. [2] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Contents

Regulation

Legislation against drugs first appeared in post-revolutionary Russia, in Article 104-d of the 1922 penal code of the RSFSR, [14] criminalising drug production, trafficking, and possession with intent to traffic. The 1924 Soviet Constitution expanded this legislation to cover the whole Soviet Union. [15] The 1926 penal code of the RSFSR suggested imprisonment or corrective labour for between one and three years as punishment for these offences, depending on the scale of the offence committed. Drug possession without intention to traffic and the personal use of drugs warranted no penalties at this time.

Drug regulation remained largely untouched in the Soviet Union until 1974, when the Supreme Soviet issued a decree entitled 'On Reinforcement of the Fight Against Drug Addiction'. [16] This decree was reproduced in Article 224 of the penal codes of all the republics of the USSR, and not only increased the penalties for the offences mentioned above to between ten and fifteen years' imprisonment, but for the first time criminalised possession of drugs without intent to traffic, bringing a penalty of up to three years in prison. Additional offences of 'seducing another person to narcotic drugs', punishable by up to five years' imprisonment, and the theft of narcotics, punishable by between five and fifteen years' imprisonment, were also created. The term 'narcotics' used here referred to all drugs listed by UN Conventions, not just opiates. [1]

A further decree issued in 1987 made a conviction for the above offences within a year of an earlier conviction for the same violation of the law liable to punishment of up to two years' imprisonment or corrective labor. Sergei Lebedev, the Chairman of the Association of Independent Advocates in Leningrad at the time, argued that the steady escalation of criminal penalties for drug use was "indicative of the Soviet authorities' resignation to their complete inability to solve drug problems in a constructive and humane way". [17]

Treatment

Treatment was performed in various different ways depending on the substance the patient was addicted to: a physician would usually administer their drug of choice in small doses for maintenance, which was done to reduce the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational drug use</span> Use of drugs with the primary intention to alter the state of consciousness

Recreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime. When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an intoxicating effect. Recreational drugs are commonly divided into three categories: depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens.

Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted criminals are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives. Crimes that warrant life imprisonment are extremely serious and usually violent. Examples of these crimes are murder, torture, terrorism, child abuse resulting in death, rape, espionage, treason, illegal drug trade, human trafficking, severe fraud and financial crimes, aggravated property damage, arson, hate crime, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, piracy, aircraft hijacking, and genocide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nils Bejerot</span> Swedish psychiatrist and criminologist (1921–1988)

Nils Johan Artur Bejerot was a Swedish psychiatrist and criminologist best known for his work on drug abuse and for coining the phrase Stockholm syndrome. Bejerot was one of the top drug abuse researchers in Sweden. His view that drug abuse was a criminal matter and that drug use should have severe penalties was highly influential in Sweden and in other countries. He believed that the cure for drug addiction was to make drugs unavailable and socially unacceptable. He also advocated the idea that drug abuse could transition from being a symptom to a disease in itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry J. Anslinger</span> 1st Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (1892–1975)

Harry Jacob Anslinger was an American government official who served as the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics during the presidencies of Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy. He was a supporter of Prohibition, and of the criminalization of all drugs, and spearheaded anti-drug policy campaigns.

The Rockefeller Drug Laws are the statutes dealing with the sale and possession of "narcotic" drugs in the New York State Penal Law. The laws are named after Nelson Rockefeller, who was the state's governor at the time the laws were adopted. Rockefeller had previously backed drug rehabilitation, job training and housing as strategies, having seen drugs as a social problem rather than a criminal one, but did an about-face during a period of mounting national anxiety about drug use and crime. Rockefeller, who pushed hard for the laws, was seen by some contemporary commentators as trying to build a "tough on crime" image in anticipation of a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 1976. The bill was signed into law by Governor Rockefeller on May 8, 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs</span> 1961 international treaty regulating narcotic drugs

The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 is an international treaty that controls activities of specific narcotic drugs and lays down a system of regulations for their medical and scientific uses; it also establishes the International Narcotics Control Board.

Anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda (ASA) was a criminal offence in the Soviet Union. Initially, the term was interchangeably used with counter-revolutionary agitation. The latter term was in use immediately after the October Revolution of 1917. The offence was codified in criminal law in the 1920s, and revised in the 1950s in two articles of the Russian SFSR Criminal Code. The offence was widely used against Soviet dissidents.

The legal status of cocaine varies worldwide. Even though many countries have banned the sale of cocaine for recreational use, some have legalized it for possession, personal use, transportation, and cultivation, while some have decriminalized it for certain uses. It is necessary to distinguish cocaine from coca leaves or the plant itself.

A drug policy is the policy regarding the control and regulation of psychoactive substances, particularly those that are addictive or cause physical and mental dependence. While drug policies are generally implemented by governments, entities at all levels may have specific policies related to drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of the Soviet Union</span>

The Supreme Court of the Soviet Union, officially the Supreme Court of the USSR was the highest court of the Soviet Union during its existence. It was established on November 23, 1923 and was dissolved on January 2, 1992. The Supreme Court of the USSR included a Military Collegium and other elements which were not typical of supreme courts found in other countries, then or now. Its role, power and function evolved throughout the history of the USSR. The first chairman of the Supreme Court was Nikolai Krylenko.

The drug policy of Sweden is based on zero tolerance focusing on prevention, treatment, and control, aiming to reduce both the supply of and demand for illegal drugs. The general drug policy is supported by all major Swedish political parties with the exceptions of the Left Party - which advocates for the decriminalization of private consumption - and 5 of the 7 major parties' youth wings.

In Kenya, drug use is an ongoing prevalent issue among those from both rural and urban areas of the country. Drugs such as inhalants, narcotics, and prescription drugs have been abused, resulting in societal issues such as social stigmas, poverty, peer pressure. These issues have had significant repercussions, including increased violence, strain on healthcare services, heightened vulnerability to HIV infection, and chemical dependence. In response, local communities and the national government have undertaken initiatives to tackle these challenges.

Being involved in the illegal drug trade in certain countries, which may include illegally importing, exporting, selling or possession of significant amounts of drugs, constitutes a capital offence and may result in capital punishment for drug trafficking, or possession assumed to be for drug trafficking. There are also extrajudicial executions of suspected drug users and traffickers in at least 2 countries without drug death penalties by law: Mexico and Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in the Czech Republic</span> Use of cannabis in the Czech Republic

Cannabis in the Czech Republic is illegal for recreational use, but personal possession has been decriminalized since 1 January 2010 and medical cannabis has been legal since 1 April 2013.

Cannabis in Latvia is illegal for recreational and medical purposes, but production of industrial hemp is permitted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Russia</span> Use of cannabis in Russia

Cannabis is illegal in Russia. Possession of up to 6 grams is an administrative offense, punishable by a fine or detention of 15 days. Possession of larger amounts is a criminal offense.

Discrimination against drug addicts is a form of discrimination against people who suffer from a drug addiction.

Narcology, from Russian нарко- + -логия is a subspecialty of psychiatry dealing with the prevention, treatment, diagnosis, social care and recovery of drug-dependent persons. The study and science of phenomena of "narcomania", "toxicomania", chronic alcoholism, and its ætiology, pathogenesis, and clinical aspects. The term for a practitioner of narcology is narcologist. In the United States, the comparable terms are "addiction medicine" and "addictionist".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Use of drugs in warfare</span>

Use of mind-altering substances in warfare has included drugs used for both relaxation and stimulation. Historically, drug use was often sanctioned and encouraged by militaries through including alcohol and tobacco in troop rations. Stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines were widely used in both World Wars to increase alertness and suppress appetite. Drug use can negatively affect combat readiness and reduce the performance of troops. Drug use also poses additional expenses to the health care systems of militaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pompidou Group</span>

The Council of Europe International Cooperation Group on Drugs and Addiction, also known as Pompidou Group is the co-operation platform of the Council of Europe on matters of drug policy currently composed of 42 countries. It was established as an ad'hoc inter-governmental platform in 1971 until its incorporation into the Council of Europe in 1980. Its headquarters are in Strasbourg, France.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Latypov, Alisher B. (30 December 2011). "The Soviet doctor and the treatment of drug addiction: 'A difficult and most ungracious task'" (PDF). Harm Reduction Journal . 8 (1): 32. doi: 10.1186/1477-7517-8-32 . ISSN   1477-7517. LCCN   2004243422. OCLC   818986724. PMC   3275499 . PMID   22208726.
  2. 1 2 Kauschanski, Alexander (11 November 2019). Limbourg, Peter (ed.). "Drug addiction in Russia: Draconian laws instead of help". Deutsche Welle . Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  3. ↑ Bird, Michael (12 November 2013). Shaw, Craig (ed.). "Smack in the USSR: how injecting drugs in the Soviet Union was socializing". The Black Sea. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 Conroy, Mary Schaeffer (1 July 1990). "Abuse of Drugs other than Alcohol and Tobacco in the Soviet Union". Soviet Studies . 42 (3): 447–480. doi:10.1080/09668139008411881. ISSN   0966-8136. JSTOR   152045. LCCN   93645761. OCLC   760957849.
  5. ↑ Kramer, John M. (1 January 1988). "Drug abuse in the Soviet Union". Problems of Communism . 37 (1). United States Information Agency/Routledge: 28. ISSN   1075-8216. LCCN   95659082. OCLC   863051164.
  6. ↑ Babaian, E.A. (1 January 1971). "Drug addiction control in the USSR". Bulletin on Narcotics. XXIV (1): 1–2.
  7. ↑ Grogan, Louise (1 April 2006). "Alcoholism, Tobacco, and Drug Use in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union". Substance Use & Misuse . 41 (4): 564–571. doi:10.1080/10826080500521664. ISSN   1082-6084. LCCN   2006268261. OCLC   901021821. PMID   16522564. S2CID   45417699 . Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Kramer, John M. (1992). "Drug Abuse in the USSR". In Joyce, Walter; White, Stephen (eds.). Social Change and Social Issues in the Former USSR. Fourth World Congress for Soviet and East European Studies. Social change and social issues in the former USSR. Vol. IX. Harrogate: International Council Soviet and East European Studies. pp. 53–79. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-22069-4_3. ISBN   978-1-349-22071-7.
  9. 1 2 Davis, Robert B. (1 February 1994). "Drug and alcohol use in the former Soviet Union: selected factors and future considerations". International Journal of the Addictions . 29 (3): 303–323. doi:10.3109/10826089409047383. ISSN   1082-6084. LCCN   2006268261. OCLC   901021821. PMID   8188430.
  10. ↑ Neuhauser 1990, p. 8-20, Background.
  11. ↑ Kramer, John M. (21 March 1990). "Drug Abuse in Eastern Europe: An Emerging Issue of Public Policy". Slavic Review . 49 (1). Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies/Cambridge University Press: 19–31. doi:10.2307/2500413. ISSN   0037-6779. JSTOR   2500413. LCCN   47006565. OCLC   818900629. S2CID   163818908.
  12. ↑ Powell, David (1 July 1972). "Drug Abuse in Communist Europe". Problems of Communism . 22 (1). United States Information Agency/Routledge: 31–40. ISSN   1075-8216. LCCN   95659082. OCLC   863051164.
  13. ↑ Cohen, Peter (25 February 1993). Future drug policy in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc: The difficult choice to be non Western. European Colloquium on the Crisis of Normative Systems. Vol. 25. Paris: Groupe Européenne de Recherche sur les Normativités. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Criminal Code of the RSFSR (1934), Table of Contents". Cyberussr.com. 1934-10-01. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  15. ↑ (in Russian) http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1924/
  16. ↑ Neuhauser 1990, p. 21-23, The Response of State and Society.
  17. ↑ "Drug Policy in the USSR". Drugtext.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2011-04-20.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.