Fight against addictions: what the candidates for the presidential election are proposing

The fight against addictions is a subject that occupies more and more public space. He returned to the table with the affair of the “wall of shame” in Paris, built to block the passage of drug addicts between the capital and its suburbs. Crack, cannabis, alcohol or tobacco: all are considered addictive and dangerous drugs for health. The candidates for the presidential election offer solutions to fight against these addictions in the long term.

For several years, politicians have been talking about the legalization of cannabis. On the subject, the right/left divide is obvious. All the candidates on the left are rather in favor of the legalization (or decriminalization) of cannabis. While on the right, there is no question. Even split on consumption rooms at lower risk for drug users (shooting rooms): the right is against it while the left is in favor. Regarding smoking and alcohol, the candidates all more or less agree: we must raise awareness of their dangers and prevent any publicity.

On the left: rather unanimous candidates

Jean-Luc Melenchon supports the legalization of cannabis. He proposes to “legalize and frame by a state monopoly, its production, sale and consumption”. He also wishes “use cannabis tax revenue for addiction programs”. Following the same logic, he supports the therapeutic use of cannabis. Regarding shooting rooms, the LFI candidate is in favor of them since they would allow “to accompany consumers towards an end to addiction”. Among its measures to fight against smoking and alcohol: the ban on advertising and sales near schools or the implementation of information campaigns for the general public on the dangers associated with their consumption.

Yannick Jadot is also in favor of the legalization of cannabis, and its therapeutic use. According to him, the state should “regulate the production and sale of cannabis by relying on strictly supervised producers and distributors”. The environmental candidate advocates the development of lower-risk shooting rooms, which will be necessary “integrate into common law”. To fight against tobacco and alcohol, he wants to strengthen non-smoking areas around schools, set up preventive education on drugs at school or even ban all alcohol advertising.

Anne Hidalgo offers a “consensus conference to the French population” to decide on the legalization of cannabis. But she maintains that “the current cannabis law enforcement policy is a failure”. She says she is in favor of the use of therapeutic cannabis. Regarding the shooting rooms, the PS candidate “welcomes the adoption by Parliament of the addiction treatment center which includes the function of a lower-risk consumption room”. Against tobacco and alcohol, she advocates “a particular fight against marketing aimed at young people and women”. In addition to imposing a ban on smoking near schools, it “will support prevention actions based on active participation, such as Dry January”. Finally, the candidate is the only one to have spoken about vaping, which “will be considered only as a cessation aid for smokers”.

Philippe Poutou He also says he is in favor of the legalization of cannabis, its therapeutic use and the establishment of shoot rooms. According to him, “prohibitions have never been an answer, they develop trafficking and mafias, without solving the question of addictions”. To fight against smoking and alcohol, the NPA candidate wants “build measures together with those concerned”.

Nathalie Arthaud, meanwhile, supports the decriminalization of cannabis. She has doubts about its legalization, given the financial stakes and political interests associated with it. “I am for all means to be implemented to help the detoxification of those who suffer from addiction. There are many specialized cures for those who suffer from alcoholism, so the existence of specialized services for other drugs seems legitimate to me”, she said, when asked about shooting rooms. Finally, she wishes to denounce the lobbies of alcohol and tobacco to better distance herself from them. It also advocates prevention from school on the dangers of these drugs, and the prohibition of all alcohol advertising.

Right: all “unfavorable”

Valerie Pécresse says to himself “very clearly unfavorable” to the legalization of cannabis because “we must fight against the scourge of all drugs”. Regarding therapeutic cannabis, candidate LR prefers “wait for the report of the National Medicines Safety Agency on therapeutic cannabis” to comment on it. It is also unfavorable to shoot rooms, since “the responsibility of the public authorities is to fight against addictions and not to maintain them”. In the fight against smoking and alcohol, she wants “making schools and businesses the first actors in prevention”and therefore prohibit “to smoke near any school establishment”. Finally, the candidate “will strengthen the obligations of transparency of the relations of influence of the tobacco industry”.

Marine Le Pen supports the legalization of cannabis. Regarding therapeutic cannabis, it is also awaiting the report from the National Medicines Safety Agency. The RN candidate is not “not favorable at all” to shoot rooms. Against smoking: “I am in favor of banning smoking near all schools, strengthening the rules on advertising, standardized neutral packaging and better medical care for tobacco addiction”. His main measure against the dangers of alcohol “will concern information intended for women in general and pregnant women in particular”.

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan is also not in favor of the legalization of cannabis. He does not wish to comment on therapeutic cannabis for the moment. According to him, “shooting rooms are false solutions that absolutely do not solve the problems posed by drug addiction”. To fight against tobacco and alcohol, it will prohibit all advertising and “will strengthen controls and sanctions so that no minor can buy tobacco or alcohol”. Finally, it plans to finance “a vast campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol, drugs and tobacco”.

The other candidates

Emmanuel Macron supports the legalization of cannabis. He wishes “pursue the strategy to fight against trafficking: strengthening controls, dismantling networks at local and national level and increasing the means to ensure this surveillance”. The LREM candidate thinks he “we must continue experimenting with the therapeutic use of cannabis”. He intends to maintain access to shooting rooms: “Based on the experiments in Paris and Strasbourg, we will extend, or even reproduce the experiments in new centers, beyond 2022, in order to analyze their effects more finely and over time”. He advocates raising prices “to limit access to tobacco”. With regard to alcohol, he wishes “improve general communication with the general public” and “strengthen prevention with at-risk groups, especially pregnant women and young people”. To fight against addictions, the candidate chooses health professionals to inform and raise awareness.

John Lassalle, meanwhile, supports the legalization of cannabis. “It is time to change the policy concerning the regulation of cannabis and to put in place a policy of prevention and accompaniment”. The party candidate Let’s resist! did not comment on shoot rooms or on the fight against smoking and alcohol.

The candidates of the PCF Fabien Roussel and of Reconquête Eric Zemmour did not answer our questionnaire, which is why their proposals do not appear in our article. You can find all the answers to our questionnaire on the health issues of the different candidates: Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Valérie Pécresse, Yannick Jadot, Anne Hidalgo, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Philippe Poutou and Nathalie Arthaud .