Parents' federation opposes drug de-criminalisation bill amid questions over petition expertise
The National Parents' Federation criticised a draft law to de-criminalise drug use, while journalists highlighted plagiarism by the petition’s expert.
On the program "Trends", Alexandru Negrici hosted a debate on a draft law that would reduce penalties for personal drug consumption. Anca Bălășoiu, a lawyer and head of the federation’s Sector 6 branch, voiced strong opposition, saying the legislation relies on foreign examples and that Romania lacks the social readiness for such reforms. She referenced a petition against the bill, which has attracted a substantial number of signatures, but could not provide specific national statistics on drug trends.
Journalists then uncovered that the petition’s leading expert, former anti-drug officer Cătălin Țone, had extensively copied material from two doctoral theses completed in 2011, a fact he attempted to justify by citing a lack of citation rules. The discussion highlighted both the federation’s concerns and the credibility issues surrounding the petition’s backing.
Why it matters
The story shows how policy debates can be influenced by groups whose arguments may rest on questionable evidence.
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