Pubdate: Fri, 18 May 2001
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2001 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Website: http://www.wsj.com/
Authors: Mark Brownstein, David W. Holmes and Robert Sharpe
Note: 2 PUB LTEs, 1 LTE
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n828/a01.html

THE DUTCH ARE NOT DRUG-CRAZED

In response to your May 9 editorial "Drive-Thru Highs": While I don't 
necessarily agree with the drive-thru pot shops, the attack on the Dutch 
policy on "soft" drugs is uncalled for. The 250% increase in adolescent 
marijuana use was expected and very temporary. Currently very few Dutch 
citizens use marijuana. The figure is about 5%, which is less than in the 
U.S. and France, countries with fairly Draconian drug laws. The "dealers 
peddling harder drugs, burglars, prostitutes, pimps and violent criminals" 
were all there before the liberalization of the drug laws, just as they 
exist now (in larger numbers) in countries with much tougher drug laws such 
as Germany and the U.S.

In addition, the social problems of "heroin addiction, property crime, 
gun-related deaths, organized criminal activity, and the consequent need 
for one of the largest police forces in the world" are all much less severe 
than in the U.S. and other countries.

When I was in Amsterdam during my recent trip, I was exposed to tear-gas 
from a riot at Centaal Station. What was the drug that contributed to the 
violence? Alcohol. Not marijuana. Why don't you suggest that alcohol be 
made illegal? Because it was tried in the U.S. and was a dismal failure, 
just as our current drug policy is equally a dismal failure. The fact is, 
the Netherlands is a country that works very well. It has a very high 
standard of living, a strong and diverse economy, excellent schools and a 
happy, healthy populace that although diverse, generally gets along very 
well with each another. This is because, not in spite of, the notion of 
tolerance that is so prevalent in the Netherlands and leads to more 
enlightened social policy like the one on "soft" drugs.

Mark Brownstein, Chicago

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You may want to know that Holland is already the land of drive-thru 
prostitution. Fenced off areas with bus-stop like shelters for street 
walkers and semi-private car ports for "business." Clients drive up, pick 
up a prostitute, drive to the car port, transact their exchange, drop off 
prostitute, drive away. Not a very good model for intoxicants. Of course 
that's true in the U.S., too, where we find drive-thru liquor stores.

David W. Holmes, Alexandria, Va.

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You claim "vast increases in heroin addiction, property crime, gun-related 
deaths, organized criminal activity, and the consequent need for one of the 
largest police forces in the world" following the Netherlands' replacement 
of marijuana prohibition with regulation. In reality, despite significantly 
lower per-capita spending on drugs, the homicide rate in the Netherlands is 
1.2 per 100,000, as opposed to 8.2 in the U.S. America now operates the 
largest prison system in the world, in large part due to the never-ending 
drug war. The punitive Nanny State does not come cheap, nor does it protect 
children from drugs.

The thriving black market in the U.S. has no age controls that work to keep 
drugs out of the hands of children. Dutch rates of drug use are 
significantly lower than U.S. rates in every category. Separating the hard 
and soft drug markets and establishing age controls for marijuana has 
proven more effective than zero tolerance.

The average age of heroin users in the Netherlands goes up every year. 
Meanwhile, here in the U.S. heroin use among high school seniors has 
reached record levels. Illegal marijuana provides the black market contacts 
that introduce youth to drugs like heroin. U.S. drug policy is a gateway 
policy. Taxing and regulating marijuana is a cost-effective alternative to 
spending billions annually on a failed drug war.

Robert Sharpe, Program Officer, Lindesmith Center Drug Policy Foundation, 
Washington
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D