France has begun a campaign to inform foreign tourists of the stiff penalties for drug possession.

One hundred thousand brochures and posters have been printed in French, English and Spanish and distributed mainly in French airports and railway stations.

They say French justice officials make no distinction between soft and hard drugs. People caught using either will face one year in jail and a fine of up to 3750 euros. Anyone caught offering drugs to another person, even if only for recreational use, faces five years in jail and a fine of 75,000 euros.

The government began the campaign in the wake of news that the amount of drugs seized by French customs officials has risen sharply. Officials say a large proportion of the drugs intercepted, in particular more half the heroin seized in 2008, has come from the Netherlands.

Photo of marijuana plant by Laughing Squid (flickr)