A wide-ranging control operation in the Bouches-du-Rhône marks a new course in French drug policy. With 1,200 officers and increased fines, Paris wants to send a clear signal – not only to dealers but also to casual users.
In 23 cities of the southern French department of Bouches-du-Rhône, including Marseille, police and gendarmerie launched a large-scale control operation against drug users on January 28, 2026. The three-day measure is part of a political reorientation announced by President Emmanuel Macron in mid-December 2025 in Marseille: the fine for possession of drugs is to be raised from the current 200 to 500 euros. This shows that France is tightening its repressive approach to illegal substances – focusing on the end consumer.
Consumption Under General Suspicion
The images are clear: Police officers on bicycles comb through the Belsunce district, a socially strained neighborhood near Marseille’s main train station. The scenes documented by journalists from Franceinfo illustrate the new approach. A 38-year-old woman is caught with crack worth ten euros. A passerby with a joint is also fined. The operations are sometimes tense. “I am in front of my door, and you are checking me?” a resident complains. The police officer’s response: “It is no coincidence that we are here.”
What becomes exemplary visible in France’s second largest city is a paradigm shift in French drug policy. Until now, the focus was on combating trafficking; now consumption is coming more into focus. The new approach is unambiguously formulated by Deputy Police Prefect Corinne Simon: “If you buy drugs, whether occasionally or regularly, you contribute to drug trafficking.” The consumer is thus no longer seen only as a victim, but as a co-causer of the problem – a viewpoint that critics describe as reductive and stigmatizing.
Fines as the Main Instrument
The so-called amende forfaitaire délictuelle, a flat-rate fine, was introduced in 2020 to relieve the justice system. It allows the police to punish drug possession immediately on the spot with a fine, without the need for a court procedure. In 2025 alone, around 15,000 such fines were imposed in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. The step to increase to 500 euros is intended to have a deterrent effect—and signals the political will for more enforcement.
But experts and social workers warn: Especially socially disadvantaged consumers are put under additional pressure by such measures. The strategy risks combating symptoms without addressing causes – such as poverty, lack of prospects or mental illnesses. Moreover, there are so far hardly any reliable data on the effectiveness of fines on actual drug consumption.
Security Discourse Instead of Health Policy
France’s repressive approach to drugs is relatively isolated in the European context. While Portugal already initiated the decriminalization of drug use in 2001 and has since focused on therapy instead of punishment, France persists with legal prosecution. In Germany, Luxembourg, or Switzerland, there is now increasing discussion of regulatory models, particularly regarding cannabis.
In contrast, security discourse dominates in France. The issue of drugs is increasingly linked to combating clan structures, youth crime, and “Zones de non-droit” – lawless areas. The controls in Marseille thus also exemplify a policy aimed at demonstrating domestic political strength. President Macron announced during his visit to the Mediterranean city not only an increase in fines but also investments in police and justice. The subtext: control instead of decriminalization.
This line fits into the broader context of a political mix in which right-wing and far-right parties increasingly set the tone. The governing majority feels pressured to show toughness – also towards those who have so far been considered more as victims than offenders. The consumer is criminalized to signal the ability to act.
Between Symbolic Politics and Systemic Gap
Whether the new strategy will have a long-term effect remains questionable. French drug policy operates in a tension between symbolic displays of power and missed reforms. The structural causes of drug consumption – from lack of prevention to overburdened addiction support facilities to missing psychological care – remain largely untreated.
Although the connection between consumption and organized drug trafficking is real, experts urge differentiation. An occasional user with a joint does not contribute to the financing of criminal networks to the same extent as large-scale smuggling or professional trade. A blanket equivalence undermines these nuances – and could further erode trust in state measures.
The current controls are therefore more than just a security policy maneuver: They are an expression of a fundamental societal question about how to deal with drug consumption – as a criminal issue or as a social and health policy phenomenon. France’s answer is initially clear – but whether it is also sustainable remains open.
Author: Andreas M. Brucker