Sweden - Online drugs avoid the law (Spice & kratom)

[Triple7]

link: http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?a=406672

Sorry for bad english.

It says there are legal drugs, since they are not classified as drugs neither are they classified dangerous to ones health. They say that the trade with drugs on internet increased (but in reality they decreased because a big actor disappeared). Customs have found cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and drugs that are not yet classified as drugs or dangerous to ones health. Two of these drugs are spice and kratom. Lars Hansson at the customs says that he sees spice and kratom continuously flowing into the country. He claims there is tremendous incrase of use of these substances. Police and customs can yet do nothing to stop this flow of drugs into the nation. Spice and Kratom are sold on websites and discussed in forums. Pharmacist Peter Hulten at the National Poisson Information Central explains that it is very dangerous to buy these substances, since one cannot know what they contain and the risk to death is very high. The National Poisson Information Central had 139 calls during 2006 and 246 calls during 2007, which is an increase of 80% of calls. Usually it is youth and young adults that call when they feel ill, dizzy and raised heart beat. Since one cannot know what the bags contain, it is difficult to give the correct information to the kids, the personell have to assume they have taken what is written on the bags and usually there is very little information about the new substances.

The government is looking at the problem. Jan Pennlöv explains that they wish to be able to to classify drugs on-the-fly. There are suggestions that police and customs should be able to act immediately, even when the substances are not classified. Jan Pennlöv does not believe in an analog act, since the courts need to be sure it is illegal drugs.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Interesting topic

[Alfa]

I am starting to see a pattern here: Finland: Legal internet drugs worry Police (Spice & kratom)
It can't be a coincidence that the police is alarming about spice and kratom in Sweden AND in Finland. And I doubt that both countries are overrun by kratom and spice gold consumption. Smells like EURAD to me.

[Lunar Loops]

Oh yes, we can all tell what's going to happen next, but seriously hope SWILL is wrong.

[Triple7]

http://orebro.expressen.se/nyheter/1...en-i-hallsberg

OK, translation:

A new drug is confiscated by police at Hallsberg.
Örebro. The police in Hallsberg made their first confiscation of the new drug Spice, written by Nerikes Allehanda.

The drug is said to have the same effect as cannabis - but is sold openly on the internet.

Since a few years, Spice which is a combination of different herbs, existed in Sweden.
Now, the drug has come to Örebro län.

A first confiscation.

Few weeks ago the police in Hallsberg made their first confiscation. Spice isn't yet classified as drug in Sweden and many order it on internet in belief it is fully legal.
- But the risk they take is very big. Spice is a combination of herb and may for example contain cannabis, says Jocke Jansson, policeman at Hallsberg.

[scottaaaay]

Spice doesn't contain cannabis at all, silly Jocke Jansson.

[Alfa]

Can someone please translate this article about kratom and Spice gold: http://www.folkbladet.se/nyheter/nor...icleid=3988094
The picture of the police men seems like bad news. Was there a raid on spice and kratom?

[Lunar Loops]

Originally Posted by Alfa

Can someone please translate this article about kratom and Spice gold: http://www.folkbladet.se/nyheter/nor...icleid=3988094
The picture of the police men seems like bad news. Was there a raid on spice and kratom?

Tried an online translator and although not great it does give an overall impression of the article. It basically seems to be a piece talking about the dangers of legal drugs to young people and how they need to be educated. A police chief is quoted, but there appears to be nothing about any sort of bust or arrests. Basically a police chief saying how he's seen young people in some bad states on legal drugs and how these are openly sold on the net.

[fanatic]

Originally Posted by Alfa

Can someone please translate this article about kratom and Spice gold: http://www.folkbladet.se/nyheter/nor...icleid=3988094
The picture of the police men seems like bad news. Was there a raid on spice and kratom?

"Completely legal drugs with effects similar to those of cannabis and opium
are being sold on the internet and distributed throughout Sweden without foreign middlemen.

-We have to be updated and have this in the back of our heads when we meet kids says police officer Mikael Skoog.

The drug Spice is a herbal mix which have effects similar to that of cannabis and kratom.

Kratom is in many countries classed as a hard drug and is alot like opium and is being sold legally in sweden and can easily be ordered through a website by anyone over the age of 18.

No punishment
This type of legal drugs are becomming more and more popular among kids and can according to information given to Folkbladet even be found in Norrköping.

There are large amounts of these types of substances and no punishment for handling/using them since they're not classed as narcotics, says police officer Mikael Skoog.

Easy to get
-It's so easy to get drugs today, it's as easy to get as alcohol.

-Many kids take these drugs without question, this can be very dangerous.
I have seen a number of kids in really bad shape.

The drug Spice is being glorified and the company that sells it encourages the customers on their website to spread the good reputation.

The legal substances often do not show up on drug tests unless the police orders an extended test. This happens now and then, mostly as a preventive measure.

"It is dangerous"
-Then it's not about punishing anyone but to make the kids and their parents realize that it is dangerous, says Skoog.

Even if ti's not an offence or classed as a narcotic it's a bad sign when they have a substance in their blood.

Poorly updated
Skoog thinks that part of the preventive work is to get signifficantly better at understanding what happens online.

-We are not updated on what goes on online, and the police are really bad at it. It is important for us to be updated when we meet kids.

Legal drugs will most likely continue to circulate. Skoog informs us that when a substance is classed the makers of it often just change the a component in it to bypass the law. But it's important for the police to identify those who are tempted to use these substances.

Legally it's hard, but if we can get the kids to understand that even these legal drugs are dangerous we can reduce the risk of them moving on to harder drugs."

There might be some typeo's.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good work

[Alfa]

What is Folkbladet?

[fanatic]

Originally Posted by Alfa

What is Folkbladet?

A newspaper

[FrankenChrist]

And what is the reputation of Folkbladet and its ideology, if any? Workers, conservative Lutherans, gutter press?

[fanatic]

Originally Posted by FrankenChrist

And what is the reputation of Folkbladet and its ideology, if any? Workers, conservative Lutherans, gutter press?

I have no idea, I never heard of that newspaper until I read this thread.

[Panthers007]

People's Daily would be the name in Anglais. If that helps.

[FrankenChrist]

Thanks. I just found on the Swedish wikipedia that it's social democratic.

[bob_arctor]

It doesn't have much swing in the public debate, the social democrat press is almost non-existing in Sweden. Like 90% of the newspapers in Sweden are owned either right or "independent right". What would Chomsky say about that?.... .

But the ideology of the drug-free society is held up by most papers, dailies as tabloids. Sometime last year the "independent liberal" paper expressen had an editorial sort of suggesting legalization of marijuana.

[Triple7]

MUF - (Moderata Undoms Förbundet) wanted once a while that drug use is decriminalized. Moderatarna is the "right-wing" party of Sweden (but very left to the Americans).

Social Democrats have been ruling most of the years last decade. 1971 USA removed Sweden from its list over communist countries. Social democrats lost last election, even thought they have the most votes. Now the head of Moderaterna is the prime minister of Sweden when he formed a coalition with other parties to outnumber and win over the Social democrats. Yes, Sweden really is a social democrat country. Normally Social democrats get about 50% of the votes, making it impossible for any coalition to win. Sometimes Social democrats build a coalition with the communists. Tax rate is high, about 60%, only the Danes are leading. Along with Norweigan the Swede politicians are the least educated in Europe. China is lot more capitalistic than Sweden. Social Democrats greeted and congratulated Pol Pot when he succeeded on his coup in Cambodia as well as Sweden was also one of the big contributors to regime of Mgubabe.

Folkbladet. Folk = people. Bladet = the page. Not a big paper.

Even when there is the point of view of MUF, the Moderaterna waged more police and waged more for war against drugs as well as they seem to want total control and surveilence of all its citizens. And it is possible that SÄPO (the CIA of Sweden) has a register over 10-12 year old kids about their dangerous political views... at least they applied for the right to do it. But the Swedish way is to conduct things even when they are not granted.