Perceived danger of cannabis in sharp decline among French people

The French public's view of drugs is evolving. The French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT) is publishing the 2023 edition of its survey on "representations, opinions, and perceptions of psychotropic drugs" this Thursday, July 17. It provides an overview of the French population's opinions on drugs and the public policies associated with them.

"Perceived danger is now being redefined based on usage habits and no longer solely on the legal status of the product," the OFDT wrote in a press release.

Tobacco and alcohol are now more often perceived as dangerous, even at low doses. Conversely, the perceived dangerousness of cocaine, heroin, and cannabis has declined over the past 25 years.

According to this survey, the proportion of French people who consider tobacco use to be dangerous "from the moment of experimentation" increased between 1999 and 2023, from 22% to 27%. This increase is also observed with regard to the danger "from occasional consumption" (1% in 1999 to 17% in 2023).

In the same trend, the French consider less and less that alcohol is only dangerous if consumed daily, but this share remains quite high (84% in 1999 compared to 71% in 2023).

Among those surveyed by the OFDT, only a quarter perceive alcohol and tobacco as drugs. However, "a majority of them consider these two substances to be the primary causes of addiction, like illicit drugs," the report states.

On the subject of drugs, the perceived dangerousness of cocaine, heroin, and cannabis has declined over the past 25 years. Cannabis in particular, as more than half (54%) of French people considered it dangerous upon first experimentation in 1999, compared to 38% in 2023.

According to the OFDT, which has conducted six such surveys since 1999, while the feeling of being well-informed about drugs increased between 1999 and 2018 (from 58% to 68%), it decreased in 2023 (63%). The organization observed this decline in women more than in men.

"In 10 years, the proportion of French people spontaneously citing cocaine among the drugs they know about has increased substantially, rising from 64% in 2012 to 74% in 2023," the organization explains.

However, there is a real difference in perception between users and those who have never used it. Regarding cocaine, for example, 74% of people who have already used it (compared to 22% for "non-experimenters") believe that cocaine helps them "have fun and party."

Furthermore, almost half (44% vs. 14%) believe that it is a "way to improve performance" while almost a quarter (24% vs. 6%) believe that it is "possible to live normally while using cocaine".

"Negative opinions about drug users continue to shape perceptions in 2023," the OFDT also writes. In this regard, nearly nine out of ten respondents consider cocaine and heroin users to be "dangerous to those around them." Similarly, more than one in two believe that these users "try to lead young people on."

Cannabis enjoys a more favorable opinion since, with the exception of the latter, the French increasingly believe that drug users are "sick people."

On the other hand, the survey published this Thursday highlights "support for harm reduction measures, particularly Addiction Care Centers (HSA, formerly low-risk consumption rooms)." "73% support their deployment, although only 20% would accept one in their own neighborhood," the OFDT indicates.

Thus, the French also overwhelmingly support "educational measures," including legal reminders and training courses. They also consider it increasingly important to inform drug users about the safest ways to consume drugs.

On the other hand, the OFDT notes that "opinions on the criminal justice response are hardening." More than a third of those surveyed believe that a prison sentence is a "good thing" for cannabis users. By comparison, this figure was 23% in 2018.