Suchergebnisse

Italian law provides an exemplary case of conjunctural tendencies in penal law. Possession of illegal drugs for personal use was criminalised in 1954, de-penalised in 1975, partially re-criminalised in 1990 and decriminalised in 1993, after a referendum. Analysis of the circumstances leading to the adoption of the 1990 law, as well as local pressures, allows one to propose a hypothesis that taking account of actual consumption patterns leads to strengthening policies of prevention, whilst repressive (deterrent) policies are chosen because of the influence of factors external to drug abuse, such as international pressure and electoral popularity.