DRUGS: STATISTICS BACK DUTCH MODEL

Dear Editor,

Twice as many British teens (40%) have tried cannabis as their Dutch peers
(20%), and a stunning 200 times as many British teens have tried heroin as
their Dutch peers.

The following statistics, published in The Observer (Feb 24, 2002), just
about sum up why Britain is about to change its drug laws, which are
currently very similar to ours in Canada.

Keep in mind that, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America,
for the last five years the U.S. has consistently seen a rate of 50% of
their high-school seniors having tried cannabis, and Canadian teens are
also in the 40% to 50% range every year (CCSA).

There is no comparison between the Dutch crime rates and ours in North
America: they have less crime of all types, especially of the types
associated with addiction, as the following statistical comparison with
Britain shows.

The Dutch drug-policy model has been proving for years that it is only one
in the world that doesn't allow teens easy access to drugs, unlike outright
prohibition, so please actually read the following statistics this year.

This information must be kept in mind for any intelligent analysis
drug-policy options.

How Britain now outstrips Holland

Sunday February 24, 2002

The Observer

Population

UK: 60m - Holland: 16m

Teenagers who have tried cannabis

UK: 40% - Holland: 20%

Teenagers who have tried heroin

UK: 2% - Holland: under 0.01%

'Problem' hard drug addicts

UK: 250,000 - Holland: 25,000

Percentage of population robbed in past year

UK: 1.4% - Holland:0.6%

Percentage of population whose car was stolen in past year

UK: 2.6% - Holland: under 0.5%

Recent (in last month) use of cannabis by 15-year olds

UK: 24% - Holland: 15%

CHRIS DONALD