The Local France

'Air Cocaine' smuggler transferred to France

Sat, 10 Jun 2017 10:57:07 +0200

A Frenchman sentenced to 20 years' jail in the Dominican Republic over a plot to smuggle a planeload of drugs has been transferred to France for health reasons, his lawyer said.

14,000 pregnant women in France took 'birth defect drug'

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 19:27:01 +0200

According to a study released by health authorities on Wednesday, a total of 14,322 pregnant women in France took a medicine between 2007 and 2014 which has been linked to birth defects.

No reason to stop drug trials despite death: French minister

Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:08:24 +0100

There is no reason to stop medicine trials in France, the country's health minister said Monday, despite the death of a man during testing for a new drug.

French drug dealer held for giving free samples

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 17:20:45 +0200

A man in central France has been hauled in by the police after he reportedly gave out flyers advertising his product - together with a free sample of cannabis resin.

French cops find 8kg of ecstasy in tins of pickles

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 17:09:00 +0200

Drugs smugglers ended up in a pickle in France this month when customs agents searched their car and found nearly 27,000 ecstasy tablets smugglers hid in 13 cans of gherkins. It may sound like a joke, but it didn't end up that way for the two suspects.

French pharmacies shut up shop in protest

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 13:24:00 +0200

All but a handful of pharmacies in France will be closed on Tuesday as part of a nationwide strike against government plans to weaken the monopolies held by self-employed professionals like lawyers, doctors and notaries.

France places Oscar hopes in 'Saint Laurent'

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 21:01:00 +0200

France has put forth a film that traces the dark side of the life led by fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent for the 2015 Oscars.

Coke and marijuana in Vatican car in France

Tue, 16 Sep 2014 15:44:00 +0200

Two men are in French jail after they allegedly used an official Vatican vehicle to try to smuggle several kilos of cocaine and cannabis through France, according to media reports.

France weighs medicine sales at supermarkets

Mon, 28 Jul 2014 20:31:54 +0200

France’s top financial watchdog says it’s time to end the monopoly pharmacies have on selling over-the-counter medicines like paracetamol as well as cold and flu remedies. The watchdog believes introducing competition will bring down prices.

EU hits French drugs company with €331m fine

Wed, 09 Jul 2014 14:39:00 +0200

French drug maker Servier was slapped with a whopping €331 million fine by the EU for allegedly colluding to delay the release of a cheaper generic drug that treats high blood pressure. Generics are some 40 percent cheaper than brand name drugs.

France won't get GDP boost from sex and drugs

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 20:55:00 +0200

France has refused a European Union order to add revenues from illegal drug sales and prostitution to its GDP calculations due to a spat over free will. Belgium and Spain have already signed up to the change.

Armed men break French drug kingpin out of jail

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 15:29:00 +0200

In a brazen daylight escape, armed men busted a French drug kingpin out of police custody on Tuesday at a hospital. The trafficker is considered one of the "godfathers" of the drug world in the Paris area.

France's drug addiction: A public health problem?

Wed, 21 May 2014 18:50:00 +0200

New data shows that one in three French used psychiatric drugs in 2013. Even in a country renowned for its pill poppers some experts say the stats represent a real “public health problem”. Others however insist it just reflects France's generous health system.

Drug dealers apologize for 'temporary closure'

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 11:47:00 +0100

Notices warning customers of unexpected or temporary closures are often seen in store windows of boulangeries or patisseries or other local shops in France, but it appears drug dealers in one French city are just as concerned about keeping their clients informed. See for yourself.

Police arrest 'grandad' drug dealers

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:11:00 +0200

A gang of middle-aged 'old school gangsters' in Marseille has been caught with a stash of firearms, a drugs lab and two kilos of cocaine.

Row as minister calls for cannabis ban to end

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:54:56 +0200

Housing minister Cecile Duflot says she wants to decriminalise cannabis in France - a move that has angered her ministerial colleagues.