The Ministry of the Interior wants to step up the crackdown on cannabis users

In stark contrast to trends elsewhere in Europe, France seems more than ever incapable of breaking with its repressive reflex when it comes to drugs. The French Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, has announced a new series of measures designed to step up the pressure on users of illicit substances.

Increased fines, potential suspension of driving licenses, extension of municipal police powers: these are just some of the levers that reflect an assertive hardening of the “all-out repression” strategy. Opponents strongly criticize this move, denouncing it as a headlong rush into security, despite decades of results that are widely considered insufficient.

Sharp rise in fines for drug use

At the heart of the new measures is the’fine forfaitaire délictuelle (AFD), introduced in 2020 by LREM MP Eric Poulliat to punish drug use without legal proceedings. Currently set at €200, the fine is set to rise to €500 under the next bill, whose name is, to say the least, Anglicizing. 1960s Nixon version Ripost.

Presented as a tool for efficiency and deterrence, AFD has become the cornerstone of France's anti-drug strategy. According to official data, 40% of all AFD inflicted in 2024 concerned drug use, This confirms that the measure is primarily aimed at consumers rather than dealers.

The government justifies the increase as part of a wider «shock of authority». Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez argues that tougher penalties are needed to respond to changing forms of delinquency, placing drug use on a par with problems such as illegal street racing, squatting and unauthorized partying.

However, AFD has failed to reduce consumption levels. France remains one of the European countries with the highest levels of cannabis consumption, while cocaine use continues to rise sharply.

Driver's license suspension: a controversial new sanction

In addition to financial penalties, the government plans to introduce new mobility sanctions. Under the proposed reforms, individuals who have received multiple fines for drug use could be required to pay a fine. suspend or even withdraw their driver's license.

This measure could even apply to in the absence of any traffic offence, on the sole basis of repeated drug use. In certain cases, prefects could be given the power to suspend licenses administratively, following a medical examination.

For Laurent Nuñez, the logic is clear: regular drug users are presumed to be «still in the grip» and therefore unfit to drive. The measure is presented as an «extreme deterrent».

This hypothesis is widely disputed. Critics argue that it blurs the boundary between impaired driving and private consumption, which introduces a form of penalty that is out of touch with the realities of road safety.

Municipal police on the verge of new powers

At the same time, the executive wants to extend the powers of the municipal police and park rangers, enabling them to draw up AFDs, a prerogative hitherto reserved for the national police and the gendarmerie.

Officially, the aim is to strengthen the «security continuum» by increasing the number of officers empowered to issue fines. In practice, however, this means a mechanical increase in penalties, In addition, the number of officers empowered to punish drug use on the spot will increase.

According to the Collective for a New Drug Policy (CNPD), This reform marks a new stage in the intensification of repression. By enlarging the pool of law enforcement officers, the State is in effect reinforcing a system that is already in place. already highly consumer-oriented.

The CNPD warns that this approach reflects a broader trend in French drug policy, which favours quantifiable law enforcement results to the detriment of long-term solutions such as prevention, harm reduction and social support.

A policy criticized for its ineffectiveness

The growing use of SFMs is attracting increasing criticism from public health experts, legal professionals and civil society organizations.

The data suggest that this measure has little or no impact on drug markets or consumption patterns. On the contrary, it mainly targets visible and occasional consumers, often in public spaces, while largely sparing trafficking networks.

In financial terms, the system also raises questions. The Court of Auditors has reported a recovery rate of only 36% for these fines, casting doubt on their effectiveness as a deterrent or revenue-generating tool.

In addition, the AFD has been accused of reinforcing a «policy of numbers».», This is a situation in which law enforcement agencies focus on easily punishable offences to boost their statistics, rather than tackling more complex criminal activities.

Growing concerns about fundamental rights

Over and above questions of efficiency, these reforms have given rise to serious concerns about civil liberties.

The AFD procedure enables law enforcement officers to’impose sanctions without judicial review, In effect, this combines the roles of investigator and judge. Payment of the fine constitutes an admission of guilt and leads to an entry in the criminal record.

Human rights organizations, including France's Défenseur des Droits and United Nations committees, have already sounded the alarm about the risks of racial profiling, discrimination and abuse related to this system.

Extending these powers to the municipal police, who report to the local executive authority, could further blur the separation between judicial and administrative functions. Critics argue that this risks undermining fundamental constitutional principles, notably the right to a fair trial.’equality before the law and independence of the judiciary.

A persistent «repressive reflex

For opponents of the reform, the issue goes beyond individual measures. It reflects what they describe as a «deep-rooted »repressive reflex in French drug policy.

Despite decades of strict repression, Drug use has not fallen significantly, and trafficking remains a major problem. At the same time, prevention and harm reduction policies continue to receive relatively limited funding and attention.

CNPD and other organizations are calling for a complete reorientation of the strategy, with an emphasis on health-based approaches, social support and targeted interventions against organized crime.

They argue that municipal police, in particular, could play a more constructive role, not as enforcers of punitive measures, but as’local prevention and mediation players, helping to put users in touch with health and social services.

It is now certain that these measures will not achieve their stated objectives. One thing is clear, however: far more than drugs, France is addicted to repression.