Har svensk narkotikapolitik rört sig mot ideologin om skademinimering?

Sammanfattning: This thesis discusses the Swedish drug policy and its principle of prohibition. In the world of today there is an ongoing discussion about prohibition and the concept of harm reduction. This thesis is an analysis of Swedish drug policy and an investigation as to whether the prohibition concept is in a state of decline. It tries to answer the question; is the Swedish drug policy moving away from its prohibition principle towards a harm reduction principle? The recent debate, articles, documents and earlier research has been analyzed in order to find answers to my questions. I was a bit surprised to find that Sweden, instead of moving towards harm reduction, has strengthened the prohibition policy. This concerns all but one area of the Swedish drug policy; the needle exchange program. At the time this essay was written the Swedish Riksdag had voted in favour of the enactment of a law that would manage the needle exchange programs. The needle exchange programs are most often mentioned as one of the efforts in a drug policy aimed at harm reduction. I have found that the political arena in which the Swedish drug policy participates has not gained in size but rather in actors. Advocates for harm reduction, the membership in international organisations such as the EU and the UN, special interest organisations and advocates of other solutions to the drug use situation have all influenced the debate on Swedish prohibition policy.