Did you know that one in four Finns has tried an illicit drug?
The consumption of cannabis has increased by four times in Finland since 1992. According to THL (terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos) in a research build up since 1992, from that year, only 6 percent had sometimes used cannabis, where as in 2018 the percentage had increased by 24 percent. According to the chart, the use of cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and amphetamine has increased from 1992 to 2018.
42 percent of Finns believe that the use of cannabis shouldn’t be punished. Around 18 percent believe that cannabis should be allowed to be purchased legally for whatever purpose. And 54 percent believe that it should be purchased for a medical purpose. THL tilastoraportti 2019.
I personally believe that everyone has the right to do whatever they want if it doesn’t harm themselves or others around them. I know a lot of people who are against the use of cannabis, and people who are very indifferent about the matter. I have always been slightly sceptical about peoples’ consumption of hard drugs, such as cocaine or “party drugs” because they consist of chemicals which can be fatal. Furthermore, my question is, what is a drug? Is it something that is illegal, or a substance that changes the way one’s mind or body works? According to Wikipedia, the definition of a drug is any substance that causes a change in an organism’s physiology or psychology when consumed (Wikipedia 2019). I consider alcohol to be a drug too, but it is legal in Finland. Cannabis is considered a drug in Finland, but it legal in the Netherlands. In my opinion, the legality of something doesn’t change its causes within ones’ physiology.
Whether a substance is illegal or not, the sad part of its abuse comes at the moment in which the substance affects one’s social and working life. In my opinion that is where the line is drawn. According to this, I may be a substance abuse user by drinking countless amounts of coffee a day!
References:
Yle uutiset. Accessed 2.10.2019 https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10662202
THL tilastoraportti, 2019. Accessed 2.10.2019 http://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/137660/Suomalaisten_huumeiden_k%c3%a4ytt%c3%b6_ja_huumeasenteet_2018_tilastoraportti.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y
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