STATISTICS ON NETHERLANDS DRUG USE

Dear Editor:

I am writing concerning the August 8 article, "World War." I wanted to
supplement Mr. Simon's reference to the Dutch drug policy by providing some
statistics on their country's drug status. The Netherlands has safe
injecting rooms for heroin addicts, and marijuana has been sold in hundreds
of coffee shops for almost 30 years. Where has it gotten them? (Sidenote:
This data comes directly from the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics;
it cannot be debated)

Percent of High School Seniors Who Used Marijuana in Past 30 Days: U.S . -
23%; Netherlands 18.1%

Percent of People Who Have Ever Used Marijuana U.S.: - 38%; Netherlands - 30%

Number of Heroin Addicts per 100,000 People: U.S. 430; Netherlands 160

Murder Rate per 100,000 People: U.S. 8.2; Netherlands 1.2

Don't believe me? Check for yourself; those statistics are cited on
Netherlands Embassy website at:

http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/c_drugstat.html (
http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/c_hldtru.html is the main page).

I'd say their policy is doing pretty well. Whether or not the statistics
directly reflect the effects of softer drug laws, what we do know is that
their policy is not the "disaster" that the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
website claims it is.

Know the facts; the U.S. will never change their policy unless the
population is educated on the subject.

Alan Reiner
Arlington, Va.