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 - --- 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. - --- 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 - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D