DRUGS IN THE NETHERLANDS

In almost every country, citizens have strong opinions concerning the ethics of drug legislation¹. Proponents² of legalizing drugs believe the consumption or sale of some or all drugs should be legalized. In particular, they say that "soft" drugs such as marijuana are no more dangerous than alcohol. They advocate the legalization of small amounts of drugs for personal consumption. Anti-drug activists, on the other hand, caution against the risks of those drugs to both individuals and society. They insist the legalization of drugs correlates with increases in crime, drug abuse, and addiction. What, then, is the truth?

The Netherlands has a unique approach to its drug policy. This policy starts with the assumption that drug use cannot be completely eliminated. It also recognizes that there are legitimate medical reasons for drug use, such as smoking marijuana to relieve nausea³ associated with cancer treatment. Therefore, it distinguishes between soft drugs such as marijuana and hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines⁴. These drugs often lead to physical addictions. Both soft and hard drugs are officially against the law. But the government allows soft drugs to be sold in certain regulated locations. Buyers need to be at least eighteen years old, and no more than five grams can be sold in a single transaction.

What are the empirical results of these liberal drug policies? Studies show that decriminalization⁵ of the possession of soft drugs for personal use and the toleration of sales of controlled substances have not resulted in higher levels of use among young people. The extent and nature of the use of soft drugs do not differ much from other Western countries. As for hard drugs, the number of addicts in the Netherlands is low compared with the rest of Europe—and considerably lower than in France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Contrary to the expectations of some anti-drug advocates, Dutch rates of drug use and addiction are lower in every category than those of the US. This is in spite of the fact that, historically, the US has aggressively tried to prevent any and all drug use by setting severe penalties for using or selling illegal drugs, even soft ones. According to the latest comparative figures, the Netherlands has a much lower lifetime prevalence of marijuana use (the percentage of people who use the drug at some point in their lives). It is about twenty-five percent in the Netherlands compared with forty-one percent in the US. And lifetime heroin use in the Netherlands is about a third of that in the US (0.5 percent versus 1.5 percent, respectively). Drug-related deaths and the spread of AIDS among drug users are also lower in the Netherlands compared to the US, and even compared to other European countries. Overall, the Netherlands has the fewest drug-related deaths in all of Europe.

Although it is tempting to conclude the lower drug statistics are the result of liberal policies alone, the Netherlands places a high priority on intervention in and prevention of drug use. For addicts who are Dutch citizens (or from the Dutch Antilles, Morocco, or Suriname, a former Dutch colony), there are methadone⁶ programs to help them quit. These programs have minimal requirements for admission and make very few demands on the clients. This encourages many addicts to seek help. Once addicts are enrolled, the government has an opportunity to share important information on preventing the spread of diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis B. Because these diseases are typically spread by infected needles, the Dutch also have a needle-exchange program. Intravenous⁷ drug users trade in old needles for new, sterile⁸ ones. Amsterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands, currently operates fifteen needle-exchange units. Hundreds of thousands of used syringes⁹ are exchanged for clean ones every year.

• addiction rate
• liberal polices
• consumption of
• clean needles
• give up
• to legalize

• clinic
• converge
• economically
• socially
• tremendous
• upwards

Tough Turkey

Turkey is one of many countries that have suffered from drug-related problems in the last few decades. Part of the reason for this is the country's location along the Balkan Route, a popular path for drug trafficking. Recently, Turkey has taken a tougher stance regarding substance abuse and is considered to be a global anti-drug-trafficking leader. In fact, Turkey is listed as the second most successful country, after China, in fighting the illegal drug trade.

Penalties for drug offenses in Turkey are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences. Anyone caught with even a very small quantity of drugs for personal use may be tried and could face six months to two years in prison. Purchasing or selling larger amounts can result in prison sentences of up to twenty years, with inpatient treatment. Certain substances require an increased punishment of twenty years' imprisonment. Drug traffickers face the most severe penalties of all: twenty years to life in prison and heavy fines.

As a result of its harsh drug penalties, Turkey has seen a drastic reduction in substance abuse and now views drug abuse as a fairly small problem. Marijuana (a drug considered by some to be the gateway to harder drug use) is most prevalent, used by a mere 0.4 percent of the population. It is followed by amphetamines and MDMA (also known as Ecstasy), both at 0.1 percent. Though recent numbers have revealed a slight increase in the use of hard drugs compared to most Western European countries, overall drug use and crime rates in Turkey remain very low.