Nini Stoltenberg
Encyclopedia
Nini Stoltenberg is a Norwegian television personality and sister of Jens Stoltenberg
, current prime minister of Norway
. She is, however, better known as a drug addict, and has been cited as such by Norwegian media on numerous occasions. She has often been depicted as an unofficial spokesperson for Norwegian drug users. Stoltenberg was part of a 12-member group of expert advisors on drug policies for the second cabinet Bondevik
(20012005). She has lately presented a harsh critique
of Norwegian illegal drug politics and questioned whether the expert group of which she was a member really made any difference. During the period when she served on the government advisory panel, Stoltenberg made headlines when she advocated the legalization of cannabis.
as the youngest of three siblings. Her brother is Jens Stoltenberg
(b. 1959), current prime minister of Norway
, and her sister is Camilla Stoltenberg
(b. 1958), a medical researcher and administrator. Her parents are Thorvald Stoltenberg
, former foreign minister of Norway and Karin Stoltenberg, a geneticist who has served, among other prominent positions, as state secretary. She has studied law
. A 1995 biography of her father described the Stoltenberg family
as a particularly tightknit family, known for its hospitality and openness, where the three children and their many friends set the tone.
In the 1995 biography about her father, Stoltenberg is described as the black sheep
of the family. She took part in squats
and was a member of the radical community that preceded what is today known as Blitz
. At the age of 15, she went to Christiania
in Denmark
, a self-governed zone known for its liberal
drug policies, where she remained for several months.
At the age of 17, Stoltenberg attended a Bruce Springsteen
concert and was pulled up on stage, and danced together with the rock superstar.
, a former drug addict who was convicted of an armed bank robbery
in the 1970s (he was released in 1983), and whose past Stoltenberg describes as a "virtual crime novel". They have been invited together for Christmas dinner
at her parents' house where her brother, as prime minister, attended. Together they have been writing about the conditions for drug users in Norway. In the 90s he got an education as a gestalt therapist
and worked in Oslo's Alcohol and Drug Addiction Service (Rusmiddeletaten). The couple first met when she was admitted for detox
and he was a therapist. They became a couple 10 years later, after they met again at the home of a common acquaintance.
show På tide with Ole Paus
. In 1994, she co-hosted Kvinnene på taket ("The Women On The Rooftop") together with Åsa Rytter Evensen and Anne Lise Hammer. Concurrently she worked on the youth program U on NRK, where she also received production training. Stoltenberg was producer for the 1993 talk show Argus with high-profile lawyer Mona Høiness. Following her 2001 appearance on Rikets tilstand, she was offered a job with TV 2
, Norway's second largest broadcaster. She made a short appearance, as herself, in an episode of the comedy television series Uti vår hage
, shown on Norwegian television in March 2008. In 2008, she appeared on Manshow, a talk show hosted by Håvard Lilleheie.
. The revelation came when she spoke about it in the current affairs
television program, Rikets Tilstand, which broke previous records for number of viewers. Following the program in which she appeared together with her father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, she received more than 2,000 letters of support from viewers who in one way or another had experienced the problems associated with illegal drug abuse. Thorvald Stoltenberg has described his experiences with having a child who was an intravenous drug user in his 2001 memoirs, Det handler om mennesker ("It's about people")–one day being immersed in peace negotiations in the Balkans
, the next wandering the streets of Oslo trying to find Nini.
In 2007, Stoltenberg went into more detail about how she started out as a drug addict, to TV journalist Tonje Steinsland–the second time her life as an addict was the subject of a television special. It started in 1991, when she was 27. She witnessed two drug addicts in a fight in a cafe in Oslo when something fell out of the pocket of one of them. She picked it up and saw that it was heroin. Together with her boyfriend she went home and decided to snort
the drug. For the next three years she was an intravenous drug user. By the end of the 1990s, she was close to dying. In the interview, Stoltenberg also tells of a boyfriend who subjected her to punishments, psychological terror and much fear, however, the heroin turned all of that into a feeling of freedom and made her perceive their relationship as simply wonderful, for a while.
Stoltenberg has received opioid agonist treatment
using methadone
for her heroin addiction during a two-year period.
Stoltenberg and her partner have not given up on drugs altogether. They do, however, assert that they no longer have an addiction problem and that they "have an ok life, and sometimes drugs enter into our life
".
Stoltenberg acknowledges that it is not uncommon among drug users to resent her relativistic
perspective on drug use and rehabilitation.
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
, current prime minister of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. She is, however, better known as a drug addict, and has been cited as such by Norwegian media on numerous occasions. She has often been depicted as an unofficial spokesperson for Norwegian drug users. Stoltenberg was part of a 12-member group of expert advisors on drug policies for the second cabinet Bondevik
Second cabinet Bondevik
Bondevik's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 19 October 2001 and 17 October 2005. It was led by Kjell Magne Bondevik and consisted of the Conservative Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. It had the following composition:...
(20012005). She has lately presented a harsh critique
Drug policy reform
Drug policy reform, also known as drug law reform, is a term used to describe proposed changes to the way most governments respond to the socio-cultural influence on perception of psychoactive substance use...
of Norwegian illegal drug politics and questioned whether the expert group of which she was a member really made any difference. During the period when she served on the government advisory panel, Stoltenberg made headlines when she advocated the legalization of cannabis.
Family background
Nini Stoltenberg grew up in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
as the youngest of three siblings. Her brother is Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
(b. 1959), current prime minister of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and her sister is Camilla Stoltenberg
Camilla Stoltenberg
Camilla Stoltenberg is a Norwegian physician, researcher, and director of the Epidemiology division of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health...
(b. 1958), a medical researcher and administrator. Her parents are Thorvald Stoltenberg
Thorvald Stoltenberg
Thorvald Stoltenberg is a former Norwegian politician. His ancestors stem from Northern Germany and emigrated to Norway in the 17th century. He served as Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs in two Labour governments.From 1989 to 1990 he was appointed Norwegian Ambassador to the UN...
, former foreign minister of Norway and Karin Stoltenberg, a geneticist who has served, among other prominent positions, as state secretary. She has studied law
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
. A 1995 biography of her father described the Stoltenberg family
Stoltenberg (Norwegian family)
Stoltenberg is a distinguished Norwegian family of German origin. It can be traced back to Henrik Monssen , who was kirkeverge in Tønsberg. Its probable origin is the village of Stoltenberg in Schleswig-Holstein....
as a particularly tightknit family, known for its hospitality and openness, where the three children and their many friends set the tone.
In the 1995 biography about her father, Stoltenberg is described as the black sheep
Black sheep
In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness...
of the family. She took part in squats
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
and was a member of the radical community that preceded what is today known as Blitz
Blitz (movement)
Blitz is an anarchist, communist and socialist youth community in Oslo, Norway, founded in 1982. The group has often been criticized for their use of violent methods of political protest.- The house :...
. At the age of 15, she went to Christiania
Freetown Christiania
Not to be confused with Christiania, Norway, another name for Oslo.Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital Copenhagen...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, a self-governed zone known for its liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
drug policies, where she remained for several months.
At the age of 17, Stoltenberg attended a Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
concert and was pulled up on stage, and danced together with the rock superstar.
Partner former criminal and former drug addict
Stoltenberg has had a long-time relationship with Karl John Sivertzen (b. 1951) from OddaOdda
is a municipality and town in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Odda was separated from Ullensvang on 1 July 1913 and on 1 January 1964 Røldal was merged with Odda. The town of Odda is the centre of the landscape of Hardanger, located at the end of the Hardangerfjord.In 1927, Erling Johnson,...
, a former drug addict who was convicted of an armed bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
in the 1970s (he was released in 1983), and whose past Stoltenberg describes as a "virtual crime novel". They have been invited together for Christmas dinner
Christmas dinner
Christmas dinner is the primary meal traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In many ways the meal is similar to a standard Sunday dinner. Christmas feasts have traditionally been luxurious and abundant...
at her parents' house where her brother, as prime minister, attended. Together they have been writing about the conditions for drug users in Norway. In the 90s he got an education as a gestalt therapist
Gestalt therapy
Gestalt therapy is an existential/experiential form of psychotherapy that emphasizes personal responsibility, and that focuses upon the individual's experience in the present moment, the therapist-client relationship, the environmental and social contexts of a person's life, and the self-regulating...
and worked in Oslo's Alcohol and Drug Addiction Service (Rusmiddeletaten). The couple first met when she was admitted for detox
Drug detoxification
Drug detoxification is a collective of interventions directed at controlling acute drug intoxication and drug withdrawal. It refers to a purging from the body of the substances to which a patient is addicted and acutely under the influence...
and he was a therapist. They became a couple 10 years later, after they met again at the home of a common acquaintance.
Television career
Stoltenberg started out doing television work in 1992 when she co-hosted the TV3TV3 (Norway)
TV3 Norway is a commercial television channel targeting Norway owned by Viasat, which is a part of the Swedish media group Modern Times Group...
show På tide with Ole Paus
Olé Paus
Ole Paus is a Norwegian singer-wongwriter, author, poet and actor. He is widely considered one of Norway's most popular musicians.-Background:...
. In 1994, she co-hosted Kvinnene på taket ("The Women On The Rooftop") together with Åsa Rytter Evensen and Anne Lise Hammer. Concurrently she worked on the youth program U on NRK, where she also received production training. Stoltenberg was producer for the 1993 talk show Argus with high-profile lawyer Mona Høiness. Following her 2001 appearance on Rikets tilstand, she was offered a job with TV 2
TV 2 (Norway)
TV 2 is the largest commercial television station in Norway. Over 30% of the time Norwegians spend watching TV is spent watching TV 2. The station has 65% of the market for TV commercials in Norway....
, Norway's second largest broadcaster. She made a short appearance, as herself, in an episode of the comedy television series Uti vår hage
Uti vår hage
Uti vår hage |folk song]]) was a Norwegian sketch comedy television program which had two different runs on TV in 2003 and 2008 on the Norwegian state channel NRK. The show starred the three well-known comedians: Atle Antonsen, Harald Eia and Bård Tufte Johansen. The format of the show was one main...
, shown on Norwegian television in March 2008. In 2008, she appeared on Manshow, a talk show hosted by Håvard Lilleheie.
Intravenous drug use
Stoltenberg's drug addiction became known to the Norwegian public in October 2001, one week after her brother had resigned from his first cabinetFirst cabinet Stoltenberg
Stoltenberg's First Cabinet governed Norway between March 17, 2000 and October 19, 2001. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. It had the following composition.-Cabinet members:-State Secretaries:-References:...
. The revelation came when she spoke about it in the current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
television program, Rikets Tilstand, which broke previous records for number of viewers. Following the program in which she appeared together with her father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, she received more than 2,000 letters of support from viewers who in one way or another had experienced the problems associated with illegal drug abuse. Thorvald Stoltenberg has described his experiences with having a child who was an intravenous drug user in his 2001 memoirs, Det handler om mennesker ("It's about people")–one day being immersed in peace negotiations in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, the next wandering the streets of Oslo trying to find Nini.
In 2007, Stoltenberg went into more detail about how she started out as a drug addict, to TV journalist Tonje Steinsland–the second time her life as an addict was the subject of a television special. It started in 1991, when she was 27. She witnessed two drug addicts in a fight in a cafe in Oslo when something fell out of the pocket of one of them. She picked it up and saw that it was heroin. Together with her boyfriend she went home and decided to snort
Insufflation (medicine)
Insufflation is the practice of inhaling a substance. Insufflation has limited medical use, but is a common route of administration with many respiratory drugs used to treat conditions in the lungs and paranasal sinus .The technique is common for many recreational drugs and is also used for some...
the drug. For the next three years she was an intravenous drug user. By the end of the 1990s, she was close to dying. In the interview, Stoltenberg also tells of a boyfriend who subjected her to punishments, psychological terror and much fear, however, the heroin turned all of that into a feeling of freedom and made her perceive their relationship as simply wonderful, for a while.
Stoltenberg has received opioid agonist treatment
Opioid Agonist Treatment
Opioid Agonist Treatment, or OAT, refers to the treatment of a narcotics addiction in humans via the administration of similar opioid drugs, agonists, and the resultant cross tolerance and physical dependence. Methadone and Buprenorphine are the most common drugs used in agonist treatment...
using methadone
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
for her heroin addiction during a two-year period.
Stoltenberg and her partner have not given up on drugs altogether. They do, however, assert that they no longer have an addiction problem and that they "have an ok life, and sometimes drugs enter into our life
Responsible drug use
Responsible drug use is a harm reduction strategy based on a belief that illegal recreational drug use can be responsible in terms of reduced or eliminated risk of negative impact on the lives of both the user and others....
".
Perspectives on reasons behind recreational drug use
Stoltenberg refutes the notion that she started using drugs because she couldn't deal with the pressure of having such successful siblings. Had it not been for the many problems of her relationship at the time, she has said, she would not have turned to drugs for an escape.Stoltenberg acknowledges that it is not uncommon among drug users to resent her relativistic
Relativism
Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration....
perspective on drug use and rehabilitation.
See also
- Stoltenberg (Norwegian family)Stoltenberg (Norwegian family)Stoltenberg is a distinguished Norwegian family of German origin. It can be traced back to Henrik Monssen , who was kirkeverge in Tønsberg. Its probable origin is the village of Stoltenberg in Schleswig-Holstein....
- Responsible drug useResponsible drug useResponsible drug use is a harm reduction strategy based on a belief that illegal recreational drug use can be responsible in terms of reduced or eliminated risk of negative impact on the lives of both the user and others....
- Drug policy reformDrug policy reformDrug policy reform, also known as drug law reform, is a term used to describe proposed changes to the way most governments respond to the socio-cultural influence on perception of psychoactive substance use...