An Official Statement On The
Netherlands’ Drug Policy; Published In The Most Improbable Place
THE NETHERLANDS’ DRUG POLICY: 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
October 1998
(Marijuananews note: First, I cannot imagine how we missed this when
it first came out last October. However, this posting coincides nicely with the UK Drugs
Tsar's more or less admitting that the British policy is a disaster.
See
Cannabis Use So
Commonplace Among British Schoolchildren
That It Is No Longer Regarded As An Act Of Rebellion, UK Drugs Tsar AdmitsSecond, The World and I Magazine is published by the same people
who own the Washington Times, in the same building.
See
Washington
Times Reports On Prohibitionist Propaganda Internet Campaign:
"New Sites Rebut Pro-Pot Messages"
Yes, They Warn 10 to 13 Yearolds That Marijuana "diminished or extinguished sexual
pleasure!"
When the Drug Czar went to Holland last year and lied about the
Dutch crime rates, the Washington Times follow the prohibitionist party line even after
both the NORML office and the Royal Netherlands Embassy, meaning the author of this
article, gave them the correct numbers. In other words, they knew they were lying. Now
their own sister publication, which is read only by the most Conservative people in
Washington, has published the facts. Have you noticed any change in attitude amongst the
Republican leadership since then? If anyone thinks that the prohibitionist leadership
cares about the facts, think about this article, and where it was published.
I first met Bernard five years ago when I was at NORML. I would kid him about being in
D.C., when he could be in Amsterdam. Dutch diplomats must be great patriots to make such a
sacrifice for their country!)
From The World and I Magazine
News World Communications Inc.
http://www.worldandi.com/
By HERBERT P. BARNARD
Herbert P. Barnard is counselor for health and welfare at the Royal
Netherlands Embassy.
Drug use is a fact of life and needs to be discouraged in as practical a manner as
possible.
"The Dutch policy on drugs is a disastrous mistake. The Netherlands regrets its
liberal policy and is about to turn back the clock." " Drug use has increased by
250 percent in two years, armed robberies by 70 percent, shoot-outs by 40 percent, and car
thefts by 60 percent." "In the Netherlands, 1,600 addicts receive daily
injections of heroin on government orders." "In Amsterdam recently, a father who
was addicted to cannabis massacred his whole family." "There’s plenty of
heroin for sale in every Dutch coffee shop."
See
Drug Czar
Lies Again About the Dutch, Who Respond With The Facts;
Czar’s Aid Says, "forces at work to legalize drugs are trying to bring
these wonderfully allied governments into conflict."
Do you believe all this? I am quoting just a few statements by foreign politicians and
other "experts" who disagree with the Netherlands’ drug policy. There is
evidently an audience willing to believe all this, which gives such critics a reason to
continue spreading these stories. Aside from questioning the honesty of this approach, one
should ask what purpose is served by repeating such nonsense. It is certainly not in the
interest of drug users, their immediate neighbors, the government, or health-care and
social service institutions.
The drug problem is too serious an issue to be used as a political football by
ambitious politicians. Nor should it be the subject of speculations about reality, making
the facts of the matter irrelevant. As a representative of the Netherlands government, I
take this opportunity to present the facts.
To understand the Dutch drug policy, you need to know a little about the Netherlands
and the Dutch people. After all, a country’s drug policy has to fit in with the
nation’s characteristics and culture.
The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in
the world, with around 15.5 million people in an area one-quarter the size of New York
State. Commerce and transport have traditionally been important sectors of industry in our
country. Rotterdam is the busiest port in the world, handling almost 5 million containers
a year. In fact, the Netherlands is generally seen as the gateway to Europe.
The Dutch have a strong belief in individual freedom. Government is expected to avoid
becoming involved in matters of morality and religion. At the same time, we feel a strong
sense of responsibility for the well-being of the community. The Netherlands has a very
extensive system of social security, while health care and education are accessible to
everyone.
What is the Dutch drug policy? The main objective is to minimize the risks associated
with drug use, both for users themselves and those around them. This objective was
formulated in the mid-1970s and can be characterized as harm reduction avant la lettre.
Many elements of the harm-reduction approach are very similar to Dutch drug policy. Our
policy does not moralize but is based on the idea that drug use is a fact of life and
needs to be discouraged in as practical a manner as possible. This calls for a pragmatic
and flexible approach that recognizes the risks for both drug users and those around them.
Our policy focuses on reducing demand as well as supply. A combination of these two
instruments requires close cooperation with public health and law enforcement authorities
on all policy levels, Furthermore, we invest a lot of money in cure and prevention. Since
the 1970s and early ‘80s, respectively, low-threshold methadone provision and needle
exchange programs have been important elements in our harm-reduction approach.
Our policy is based on two important principles. The first is the
distinction between types of drugs, based on their harmfulness (hemp products on the one
hand and drugs with unacceptable risks on the other). The second legal principle is a
differentiation according to the nature of the punishable acts, such as the distinction
between the possession of small quantities of drugs for one’s own use and possession
with intent to deal. This makes it possible to pursue a finely tuned policy based on the
application of criminal law.
The possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis is a petty offense punishable with a fine.
(Marijuananews note: I have never heard of anyone actually
being stopped or fined.)
See
Vraag
Een Politieagent. Go Ahead, Ask A Cop For Dope. The Dutch Don't Mind
New Scientist Special Report
The sale of small amounts of cannabis, through what are known as "coffee shops,"
subject to strict conditions, is not prosecuted.
(Marijuananews note: Coffee shops can have half a kilo in inventory
and sell each customer five grams.)
The idea behind the policy on coffee shops is that of "separating the
markets." The reasoning is that if retailers of cannabis are not prosecuted under
certain conditions, the experimenting user will not be forced to move in criminal circles,
where higher profits are made by urging users to take more dangerous drugs (such as
heroin).
See
"Here, if you want
cannabis you go to a coffee shop.
In other countries if you want it you have to go to a man who might try to sell you heroin
or cocaine as well."
People often think that drugs are available legally in the Netherlands and that we do
not focus on combating the supply side of the drug market. Nothing could be less true.
Aside from the retail trade in cannabis, a high priority is given to tackling all other
forms of drug dealing. The police and customs authorities seize large consignments of
drugs almost every week, working closely with other countries in the fight against
organized crime.
Some people think that harm reduction and legalization are synonymous. I disagree and
would like to emphasize that harm reduction is not legalization in disguise. Harm
reduction is first and foremost concerned with reducing the risks and hazards of drug
taking. Harm reduction is meant to reduce the risks for not only the drug user but the
immediate environment (i.e., the public) and society as well. This implies that intensive
cooperation at all times between those providing care for addicts, the criminal justice
authorities, and the government is an essential element in the harm reduction approach.
What are the results of our policy? The Dutch government recently issued a document
discussing its drug policy, evaluating the policy of the last 20 years, and mapping out
approaches for the future. This paper can be compared with the yearly National Drug
Control Strategies of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. I will
summarize the main outcomes.
See
New Dutch
Drug Use Data Show Success Of Policies of Truth And Tolerance
Full Text of Press Release And Tables With Data On All Drugs
Regarding the evaluation of Dutch policy on hard drugs, the document makes the
following points:
Our policy of harm reduction has been quite successful. Thanks to a high standard of
care and prevention, including extensive low-level and nonconditional methadone
prescription, social and medical assistance for drug users, and a large-scale free
needle-exchange program, we have reached a situation that is matched by few other
countries.
The number of addicts in the Netherlands is relatively low compared with that in many
countries. This implies that harm-reduction measures do not increase the use of drugs.
The population of addicts is rather stable and rapidly aging. This suggests that few
new users are joining in. Heroin is not fashionable among
youngsters. The average age of Amsterdam methadone-provision clients increases by almost
one year every year, and the number of young heroin users using services like methadone
provision has shrunk over the years to a handful. The average age of Amsterdam methadone-
provision clients was 36.2 years in 1995. The average age of newly registered drug clients
in the Netherlands was 32 years in 1995.
The mortality rate among drug users is low, due to the low-threshold methadone programs
that provide protection against overdose.
The damage to health caused by the use of hard drugs has been kept within limits. The number of addicts infected with HIV is exceptionally low. In the
Netherlands, the percentage of intravenous drug users (IDUs) among the total cumulative
number of AIDS cases is low. In addition, the incidence of HIV infections among IDUs has
decreased since 1986. An evaluation study concluded that a combination of
harm-reduction measures (i.e., methadone provision, needle exchange, training, and
counseling) has resulted in safer sexual and drug-taking behaviors. Safe
sex practices among addicted prostitutes have increased as well.
Another result of our policy is that a comparatively large proportion of drug users in
our country has been integrated into society to a reasonable extent.
The number of regular hemp smokers has gradually increased in
recent years. Lifetime prevalence and last-month prevalence have increased substantially
since 1984. An annual survey among older pupils in Amsterdam showed, however, that the
prevalence of cannabis use has stabilized since 1993--94. This might indicate that we have
reached the peak of the upward trend of the past years.
Can the increase in cannabis use, especially among students, be attributed to the
existence of coffee shops in the Netherlands? An analysis of surveys shows an upward trend
in many other European countries. Since the late 1980s, cannabis use among youngsters (as
well as the general population) has increased in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and
the United States.
Compared with the U.S. prevalence, the figures for the Netherlands are considerably
lower. According to the results of the 1995 Monitoring the Future Surveys, published by
the University of Michigan, cannabis use has increased tremendously among American
youngsters. To my knowledge, this increase cannot be attributed to any significant change
of policy.
The fact that the rate of cannabis use in the Netherlands is
comparable with that in other countries (and even lower than in the United States) shows
that government policy probably has less influence on use than we think.
Other
factors, such as trends in youth culture, social differences, and other social influences,
probably play a far more important role. In our view, this does not mean that it makes no
difference whether one pursues a liberal or a restrictive drug policy. The difference is that a tolerant policy prevents the marginalization of
the user. A situation often encountered in other nations, where the user—in most
cases a minor—runs the risk of getting into trouble with the police, is seen as
highly undesirable in my country.
Some conclusions
1.Comparisons with other countries show no indications that our policy has led to an
increase in the number of cannabis users. Therefore, there is no reason to change our
policy on cannabis.
2.Our policy on cannabis has not led to an increase in the number of hard-drug users. In the Netherlands, the stepping-stone hypothesis cannot be confirmed.
(Marijuananews note: The "Gateway Theory" used to be called the
"Stepping-Stone Hypothesis" until the "Latest Research" suggested a
name change so it would sound like a new theory instead of and old lie.)
4.By definition, the Dutch drug policy requires an integral cooperation with public
health, law enforcement, and public order officials.
The Dutch drug policy, therefore, is not a disastrous experiment but a serious effort
to tackle a serious issue. Our policy has produced results that are demonstrably better
than those in many of the countries criticizing us. While we realize that an ongoing
dialogue with all those involved with the drug problem is a precondition for any progress,
we are not going to change our policy on the basis of unjustified criticism.
See
The Best Overview of
Dutch Tolerance Policies I Have Ever Read;
And It Is From A Little Rock Weekly!
Supported