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Report on the Drug Situation 2010 - Bundesministerium für ...

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9 <strong>Drug</strong>-related Crime, Preventi<strong>on</strong> of<strong>Drug</strong>-related Crime, and Pris<strong>on</strong>The data for this chapter come from <strong>the</strong> Federal Ministries of <strong>the</strong> Interior and ofJustice, respectively, as well as from <strong>the</strong> court criminal statistics maintained byStatistics Austria. O<strong>the</strong>r sources of informati<strong>on</strong> include <strong>the</strong> annual reports andevaluati<strong>on</strong>s of drug treatment and advice centres and <strong>the</strong> Addicti<strong>on</strong> and <strong>Drug</strong> Coordinati<strong>on</strong>Offices in <strong>the</strong> provinces. Fur<strong>the</strong>r input comes from ST11 and SQ31 as wellas publicati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> pris<strong>on</strong>s. The Narcotic Substances Act (SMG) plays an important roleas a basis for measures taken by prosecuti<strong>on</strong> authorities. The SMG distinguishesbetween narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor substances, andspecifies which substance comes under which category. A distincti<strong>on</strong> is also madebetween misdemeanours (illicit handling of drugs: Secti<strong>on</strong> 27 of <strong>the</strong> SMG) and fel<strong>on</strong>ies(preparati<strong>on</strong> for drug trafficking: Secti<strong>on</strong> 28 of <strong>the</strong> SMG; as well as drug trafficking:Secti<strong>on</strong> 28a). Our report of 2008 (GÖG/ÖBIG 2008c) includes a detailed presentati<strong>on</strong> of<strong>the</strong> amendment to <strong>the</strong> Narcotic Substances Act which entered into force <strong>on</strong> 1 January2008, and all <strong>the</strong> resulting changes.As explained in previous years and also stressed by <strong>the</strong> resp<strong>on</strong>sible Ministry of <strong>the</strong>Interior (BMI <strong>2010</strong>), <strong>the</strong> data c<strong>on</strong>cerning reports of offences permit <strong>on</strong>ly limitedc<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s regarding <strong>the</strong> development of illicit drug use and misuse, because <strong>the</strong>yprimarily reflect <strong>the</strong> intensity and focus of police activity in this field.The number of reports to <strong>the</strong> police relating to violati<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> SMG rose in 2009compared to <strong>the</strong> year before, and is at a level similar to 2002 and 2003. RegardingSMG-related c<strong>on</strong>victi<strong>on</strong>s because of misdemeanours (violati<strong>on</strong> of Secti<strong>on</strong> 27provisi<strong>on</strong>s) <strong>the</strong> decline showing since 2006 c<strong>on</strong>tinued also in 2009, and c<strong>on</strong>victi<strong>on</strong>sbecause of fel<strong>on</strong>ies (Secti<strong>on</strong> 28 of <strong>the</strong> SMG) have also g<strong>on</strong>e down since 2006, roughlyby 5% annually. In this c<strong>on</strong>text it should be noted that in <strong>the</strong> present report, <strong>the</strong> termfel<strong>on</strong>y is used for all violati<strong>on</strong>s of Secti<strong>on</strong> 28 and Secti<strong>on</strong> 28a of <strong>the</strong> SMG, whereasoffences against Secti<strong>on</strong> 27 of <strong>the</strong> SMG are referred to as misdemeanours.9.1 <strong>Drug</strong>-related crimeIn 2009, <strong>the</strong> number of reported violati<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> Narcotic Substances Act (SMG) was22 729 (2008: 20 043; see also Table A9 in Annex A and ST11), which is an increasecompared to <strong>the</strong> previous year. A total of 21 801 reports (2008: 19 080 reports)related to narcotic drugs and <strong>the</strong> rest to psychotropic substances. Regarding type ofreport (see Figure 9.1), in 2009, after a significant decline in <strong>the</strong> year before, ano<strong>the</strong>rrise in <strong>the</strong> number of reports showed with regard to both misdemeanours (illicitChapter 9 / <strong>Drug</strong>-related Crime, Preventi<strong>on</strong> of <strong>Drug</strong>-related Crime, and Pris<strong>on</strong> 79

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