ECSTASY THREATENS DUTCH DRUGS STRATEGY

For the past twenty years people have been able to eat, drink or smoke
cannabis in 'coffee shops' in the Netherlands. But, as Jason Bennetto
discovered, a system designed to keep hard and soft drug users apart is
under threat from an ecstasy epidemic. The solution may be to decriminalise
possession of ecstasy.

The selection on offer was impressive. Dozens of tiny plastic bags
containing such mindblowing substances as Jamaica Gold, Zero Zero and
Purple Haze were hung in neat rows like a supermarket spice rack. Below in
plastic strawberry containers, for your convenience, were readyrolled
joints of cannabis and powerful "skunk weed". The label on the wooden drugs
cabinet boasted "official junk dealer".

The audience was equally impressive. Among the customers bathed in the
sweet smell of dope was a senior police officer, a government prosecutor,
and council official wearing dark suits and fixed smiles.

The visit to Gerard Smit's friendly coffee shop, Creamers in The Hague,
which might more accurately be called a drugs bar, was the Dutch
government's attempt at clarifying their muchmaligned drugs policy.

By British standards the Dutch not only think the unthinkable, they
actually carry it out. More unusually they are honest enough to admit their
failures and compromises.

For many years their system of licensed "coffee bars" where punters can buy
and use very small amounts of cannabis without fear of police harassment
has keep soft drug consumers away from dealers of hard narcotics. But the
rise in popularity of ecstasy with tens of thousands of Dutch youths, using
the dance drug and new "ecosubstances" such as magic mushrooms has
undermined that policy and called into question the entire coffee shop
system.

In a further twist a recent police clampdown against ecstasy producers has
resulted in traffickers mixing the drug with other substances, including
amphetamines (Speed) which unlike ecstasy is addictive.

The Dutch have long prided themselves on their progressive approach to
drugs. They argue that although they have a more liberal attitude to
illegal substances the rate of cannabis use in the Netherlands is low
compared to other European countries, particularly Britain. They also have
a relatively low level of HIV sufferers, drug deaths, and heroin addicts
who are becoming increasingly old the average age is now 36 because
there are so few new young recruits.

But the popularity of Ecstasy among the country's 15 million population is
blurring the differences between hard and soft drug users. Up to 500,000
people in the Netherlands are estimated to have taken Ecstasy, although
only six are believed to have died from the side effects.

The Netherlands is the centre for ecstasy production in Europe with Britain
being one of its major clients. New laws have been introduced which enable
the authorities to convict drug manufacturers caught with just the
ingredients rather than the finished product. But the government admits it
is struggling to prevent young people using the drug and therefore risking
contact with other substances such as cocaine, speed and heroin. New "eco
drug" shops have also started to spring up selling natural highs such as
mushrooms and vitamins.

Bob Keizer, head of the Department of Addiction Care at the Dutch Ministry
of Health yesterday questioned whether the government could continue to
maintain "the oldfashioned approach of separating the two (soft and hard
drug) markets." He added: "We realise we can't go on forever with this
policy if we do not do anything about ecstasy."

Jaap Fransman, director of the Division of Youth and Mental Health Care in
Amsterdam is equally pessimistic, describing the availability of ecstasy as
an "epidemic". Health officials are concerned at the variety of substances
being cut into ecstasy tablets to bulk them out.

In an attempt to deal with this problem the Dutch have come up with a
typically schizophrenic policy. While classifying ecstasy as a Class A hard
drug, they have allowed local authorities to licence large house parties in
which ecstasy is taken. While there is someone to frisk people going into
the party this is supposed to weed out any dealers with large numbers of
tablets it is easy to smuggle in drugs.

Anyone caught will have their tablets confiscated. Prosecution usually only
takes place where significant amounts are found. Once inside, experts are
on hand to provide instant testing of the Ecstasy and advice on what the
tablet contains in an attempt to spot dangerous concoctions. Once diagnosed
the tablet is returned to its owner.

The Dutch authorities are now having to rethink their policy on ecstasy and
are considering whether, like cannabis, it should be decriminalised in
small quantities.

Meanwhile back at the Creamer coffee shop the owner, Mr Smit, believes the
rest of the world is missing out on the Dutch experience. He explains:
"Bill Clinton was about 500 metres from here the other day when he visited
the Royal Palace. People were in here smoking joints having a good time."
Unlike the American President, they did inhale.

THERE are about 1,200 socalled coffee shops in the Netherlands where
customers are able openly to buy cannabis resin hashish or the dried
hemp "weed".

Technically it is illegal to buy or sell any cannabis, but Dutch
authorities turn a blind eye to anyone using small quantities of the drug
in licensed coffee shops providing they obey certain rules.

Only people aged 18 or above can go into the premises and buy cannabis.
They can only purchase five grams a day enough for about 15 cannabis
cigarettes which cost as little as about £3.50. The drug should be
consumed, either smoked with tobacco, dissolved in coffee or eaten baked in
a cake, on the premises, although this is often ignored and there is
nothing to stop people going to several shops in a single day. Drugusers
are offered a wide range of cannabis products from around the world
including readymade joints and the superstrong Dutch weed called skunk.
Prices are listed on a menu board.

Anyone caught on the street with a small amount of cannabis will not be
prosecuted. The shop owners must only keep 500 grams on the premises and
are not allowed to advertise. Following complaints about antisocial
behaviour and fears that they were becoming too numerous, the number of
shops which are based in bars and cafes have been reduced by about 15 per
cent since 1995 with about 350 in Amsterdam. The quantity that individuals
can buy was also reduced from 30 grams. It is illegal for owners to buy
cannabis from traffickers, however this has also been in effect
decriminalised, with the police usually ignoring sales from professional
dealers, amateurs who have grown it at home, and backpackers. The coffee
shop owners have their own union and most must decide by 2000 whether to
sell either alcohol or drugs but not both.