NCJ Number
126949
Journal
International Journal on Drug Policy Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (September/October 1990) Pages: 22-24
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Indicators of the success of the Dutch drug policy are the prevalence of drug use, the prevalence of fatal drug accidents, the availability of assistance for potential clients, conditions for the development of rules to control individual drug use, and the prevalence of nondrug-related hazards of drug use.
Abstract
The prevalence of drug use in the Netherlands is relatively low, perhaps due to a policy that does not focus on penalizing drug users or on suppressing drug use by media campaigns. The individual use of drugs in Amsterdam is virtually a nonissue, and this results in a lower tendency to hide personal drug use. In 1988, only 15 percent of the estimated 4,500 Amsterdam drug addicts were found dead with a high probability of a drug accident. This figure is the lowest in Europe. Figures for HIV seropositivity among Amsterdam's drug addicts, however, appear to be higher than in other countries. The Dutch drug control system is part of the national health care system available to all citizens. Drug control is also part of an extensive system of socioeconomic policies based on a mix of law enforcement and social assistance agencies to manage social conflict and social inequality. An important success in Dutch drug control is the proportion of potential clients who contact the drug treatment system. It is estimated that at least 70 percent of all potential clients have relevant contact with drug treatment services in cities like Amsterdam; the corresponding figure for smaller towns is 50 percent. The Dutch experience is compared with that of the United States, and international drug control efforts are examined.