The severe criminal punishment of drug consumers in Albania. A call for reasonability and reflection

Abstract

The opening and Europeanization process of Albanian society could not have happened without the influence of western societies’ contagions, one of which is the consumption of narcotics. In the hope that this contamination could be prevented, the Albanian Legislator enacted severe criminal sanctions, not only for cultivation, production or the dealing of narcotics, but also for the possession of small quantities for personal use. This study aims to assess whether the severe sentences provided for drug possession in Albania have managed to curb the increasing tendency of this offence, using annual statistics published by the Ministry of Justice in Albania as the basis for the study. Since this study concluded that the application of severe sentences has not achieved the intended results to reduce the use of narcotics, we believe that the time has come to thoroughly rethink the fight against drugs in Albania and especially the approach towards the consumers.