Recent accounts in the U.S. press about the Netherlands drug policy have included incorrect and misleading statistics about drug use and drug-related crimes in the Netherlands. What follows is a short list of facts and comparisons to refute those accounts. Sources are given to permit and encourage third party verification of facts.

Last month use of cannabis (marijuana) by high school seniors: 
18.1%  in the Netherlands (1996); 
23.7% in the U.S. (1997). 
(Sources: The Trimbos Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Monitoring the Future Survey, University of Michigan and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy) 

Any lifetime use (prevalence) of cannabis by older teens (1994): 
30% in the Netherlands; 
38% in the U.S. 
(Sources: Center for Drug Research, University of Amsterdam; Monitoring the Future Survey, University of Michigan and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy) 

Recent (last month) use of cannabis by 15 year olds (in 1995): 
15% in the Netherlands; 
16% in the U.S.; 
24% in the U.K. 
(Sources: Trimbos Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Monitoring the Future Survey, University of Michigan and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; Council of Europe, ESPAD Report) 

Any lifetime use of cannabis by 15 year olds (in 1995): 
29% in the Netherlands; 
34% in the U.S.; 
41% in the U.K. 
(Sources: Netherlands Institute of Health and Addiction, U.S. National Institute for Drug Abuse; Council of Europe, ESPAD Report) 

Heroine addicts as a percentage of population (in 1995): 
160 per 100,000 in the Netherlands; 
430 per 100,000 in the U.S. 
(Sources: Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport; 
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy) 

Murder rate as a percentage of population (in 1996): 
1.8 per 100,000 in the Netherlands; 
8.22 in the U.S. 
(Sources: Netherlands Bureau of Statistics; White House Office of National Drug Control Policy) 

Incarceration rate as a percentage of population (1997): 
73 per 100,000 in the Netherlands; 
645 per 100,000 in the U.S. 
(Sources: Netherlands Ministry of Justice; White House Office of National Drug Control Strategy) 

Crime-related deaths as a percentage of population: 
1.2 per 100,000 in the Netherlands (1994); 
8.2 per 100,000 in the U.S. (1995). 
(Sources: World Health Organization; Uniform Crime Reports, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation) 

Per capita spending on drug-related law enforcement: 
$27 per capita in the Netherlands; 
$81 per capita in the U.S. 
 (Sources: Netherlands Ministry of Justice; White House Office of National Drug Control Strategy) 



Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 11:32:39 -0800
From: "D. Paul Stanford"
Subject: UK: How Britain Now Outstrips Holland

Newshawk: puff_tuff
Pubdate: Sun, 24 Feb 2002
Source: Observer, The (UK)
Copyright: 2002 The Observer
Contact: letters@observer.co.uk
Website: http://www.observer.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/315

HOW BRITAIN NOW OUTSTRIPS HOLLAND

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%

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