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Cocaine has gripped Oslo
🇸🇪 Sweden /Crime & Justice

Cocaine has gripped Oslo

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • Cocaine use has become a significant problem in Oslo, with easy access and widespread use among various social circles.
  • The article highlights the personal struggles of an individual battling addiction and the challenges faced by those seeking recovery.
  • The issue has gained public attention following the legal troubles of Marius Borg Høiby, a member of the royal family, revealing a darker side to Norway's image.

Oslo is grappling with a pervasive cocaine problem, where the drug is readily available and used openly in social settings, even among the affluent. The ease of access is starkly illustrated by the ability to order five grams of cocaine via Snapchat for delivery within ten minutes at any time of day.

One individual shared his harrowing journey through addiction, describing a period of extreme physical and mental deterioration. He recounted how the drug consumed his life, leading to desperate measures to obtain it. Now attending a Cocaine Anonymous meeting, he reads a text describing the life of a cocaine addict: "We did anything to avoid being ourselves. The lines got thicker. The grams ran out faster. The whole week's ration was gone in a day. We found ourselves scraping envelopes and bags with razor blades. Soon we were sniffing up all the white powder from the carpet or floor."

We did anything to avoid being ourselves. The lines got thicker. The grams ran out faster. The whole week's ration was gone in a day. We found ourselves scraping envelopes and bags with razor blades. Soon we were sniffing up all the white powder from the carpet or floor.

— Cocaine addictDescribing the depths of addiction at a Cocaine Anonymous meeting.

The problem has been thrust into the spotlight by the legal proceedings against Marius Borg Høiby, the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon. He was arrested in August 2024 after allegedly destroying his then-partner's apartment during a cocaine-fueled incident. Medical reports indicated the presence of cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, and Valium in his system. He also faces accusations of raping a sleeping woman in an Oslo hotel room.

The trial, which began in February, has exposed the extent of drug use within exclusive clubs and bars in Oslo's wealthy western districts. A friend of Borg Høiby described the shock of realizing the quantity of cocaine his circle consumed, stating in a police interrogation, "They took it like it was snus." This situation contrasts sharply with Norway's international image as a humanitarian superpower and a model of social welfare, revealing a hidden layer of decadence.

They took it like it was snus.

— Friend of Marius Borg HøibyDescribing the casual consumption of cocaine within their social circle during a police interrogation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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