The Spanish Secretary of State has issued an order to the National Police and the Civil Guard stating that drug consumption is permitted in a parked vehicle.
This decision is causing unease and doubt among officers who are faced with such interventions daily throughout Spain.
According to the order, drug consumption in a private car is permitted because it takes place on private property – provided the vehicle is stationary and not in flowing traffic.
“This provision leaves it to the discretion of the officers acting to assess whether the consumption of drugs, narcotics, or psychotropic substances in a private vehicle used exclusively as a parked means of transport constitutes a serious offense under paragraph 16,” warns the Secretary of State for Security.
According to the order, a car is considered a home, which legitimizes drug consumption on private property.
However, the Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that “a car cannot be equated with a house.”
This decision has already caused a stir on social media, with some calling the ruling “frightening.”
“It is dangerous territory and detrimental to the safety of citizens to claim that a parked vehicle enjoys special protection for the consumption and possession of drugs,” said Carlos Quero, national spokesperson for the Spanish Police Union.
