Cannabis News Students for Sensible Drug Policy
  Europe's Liberalized Drug Policy
Posted by CN Staff on May 09, 2002 at 21:23:35 PT
By Robert S. Werner & DeForest Rathbone 
Source: Washington Post 

justice The May 3 front-page story "Europe Moves Drug War From Prisons to Clinics" failed to show the negative effect of liberalization of drug policies in the countries cited.

For each of the past three years, Europe has imported and consumed more than 200 tons of Colombian cocaine -- better than double the annual totals before 1999 and the new decriminalization movement. President Bush has stated that Europe is a major importer of heroin from Afghanistan.

As U.S. consumption of cocaine has decreased by two-thirds in the past two decades, Europe has become the new market. The Netherlands is now the top source of the Ecstasy reaching America's children. So we are paying a price for Europe's "harm reduction."

Moreover, Britain is not liberalizing its policies. To the contrary, it has reversed the laws legalizing heroin laws during the past decade because its addiction rate quintupled in that period.

The story twice quoted the EU data coordinator as saying that drugs are widely available in prisons. If that is true, Europe should clean up its prisons. While it is true that the United States must expand drug treatment in the prison population because more than 60 percent of arrestees test positive upon entry, it is a myth that drugs are widespread in U.S. prisons themselves. Only 2 percent to 3 percent of prisoners actually obtain illegal drugs.

As U.S. drug use is dropping, Europe's is rising. Europe may be headed for the drug and crime disaster we had two decades ago, from which we are emerging as we spread the message about the dangers and enforce the law.

ROBERT S. WEINER

Accokeek

The writer was director of public affairs for the White House Office of National Drug Policy from May 1995 until August 2001.



As a May 3 story noted, several European countries are attempting to reduce drug problems by substituting drug treatment instead of punitive measures.

A similar rationale is in use here as the basis for student drug-testing programs in numerous schools. The concept is that drug abuse by schoolchildren is a health and safety problem that needs to be diagnosed and treated rather than punished as a behavioral infraction.

The Supreme Court has approved drug testing of student athletes and is considering a case that would allow schools to expand it to all kids in extracurricular activities. Congress and the administration recently enacted the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, " which includes a provision that authorizes and provides federal funding for student drug testing.

Student drug testing has a great track record in reducing drug use. Schools that test all students sharply reduce drug use. Surveys of non-testing schools show about one-third of their students use drugs on a regular basis. When finally used in schools throughout the nation, health-related student drug testing will do for drug-related tragedies what the Salk vaccine did for polio tragedies -- it will nearly eliminate them.

DeFOREST RATHBONE

Great Falls

The writer chairs the National Institute of Citizen Anti-Drug Policy, a grassroots organization.

Source: Washington Post (DC)
Author: Robert S. Werner & DeForest Rathbone
Published: Friday, May 10, 2002; Page A36
Copyright: 2002 The Washington Post Company
Contact: letterstoed@washpost.com
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com

Related Article:

Europe Moves Drug War From Prisons to Clinics
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12706.shtml

Portugal Shifts Aim in Drug War
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11061.shtml

Lisbon Takes Drug Use Off The Charge Sheet
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10363.shtml


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Comment #5 posted by RavingDave on May 10, 2002 at 20:26:36 PT
Hot Dog for a Day
Not only are these statistics completely fabricated, but they are indeed meaningless. The point which Mr. Weiner fails to understand is that he is not the father of every man, woman, and child in this country. Why must he and others of his ilk assume that they must protect each person from himself?

It is interesting to note that he jumps from the relaxing of the drug laws in Europe, straight to the Ecstasy boom in the Netherlands. I have news for you, Mr. Weiner. Ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands. That certainly hasn't helped to stem the tide, which is a lesson to which you should pay close attention. Read my lips:

Prohibition will not make drugs go away!

This was apparent from our country's first foray into the cesspool of prohibition. It didn't work then. It won't work now. No amount of lies and warped statistics will change that fact. The best thing to do would be to legalize everything, then let the people decide for themselves. This is the true American way.

Any adult can go to a gun shop, buy a gun, go home, and blow his head off. I don't see you outlawing guns, even though kids are taking them to school to kill other kids. Why, then, outlaw drugs? Just because a few parents can't face the fact that all their parenting steered their kids to drugs? Sounds like this country has a bad case of denial.

Incidentally, Britain is liberalizing their drug laws. You must not be reading the same news that I do, Mr. Weiner.

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Comment #4 posted by goneposthole on May 10, 2002 at 11:37:34 PT
cocaine in Europe
It became the market of choice because there was much less hassle (i.e. no drug warriors to worry them).

You can't expect them to march over to Europe and start clamping down there, too.

If I were the DEA, I would start worrying about old drug stores that have closed up shop in all of the dying small towns across the US. There may be some left over drugs in the basements of those old buildings. A nice Red Herring for them to catch.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #3 posted by krutch on May 10, 2002 at 10:18:05 PT:

Where is the Data
Here we go again with the anti-drug propaganda machine.

"For each of the past three years, Europe has imported and consumed more than 200 tons of Colombian cocaine -- better than double the annual totals before 1999 and the new decriminalization movement."

Where did this data come from? How can they tell how much cocaine came into Europe during any given year? More importantly, how can they be sure that the numbers were not artificially deflated prior to decriminalization. If the data comes from surveys then people are far more likely to report non-criminal behaviour. Decriminalization could cause a jump in these numbers without actual consumption changing at all.

Notice that we are never given any real numbers, we are just told that consumption doubled in Europe, but decreased by two thirds in the US. This is the hallmark of statisticial chicanery. My question is, what is the per capita rate of cocaine consumption in Europe, and how how does it compare to the per capita consumption in the US? Without this data, the changes in the rates of consumption mean little.

This is another logical gem:

"As U.S. consumption of cocaine has decreased by two-thirds in the past two decades, Europe has become the new market. The Netherlands is now the top source of the Ecstasy reaching America's children."

What does cocaine consumption in Europe have to do with the criminal organizations in the Netherlands exporting ecstacy. Wait, I think I know the answer they are implying: Those horrible European coke addicts are selling our children ecstacy to support their filthy habit. Come on guys, Get real.

Public opinion is changing from the stupid anti-drug hysteria of the 1980's and early 1990's, and the anti-drug lunatics are desperate. They are kicking out these delusions constantly. I challenge them to present their raw data, and to validate their measuring techniques. I don't think they can do it.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by CorvallisEric on May 10, 2002 at 04:27:39 PT
Weiner
Cherry-pick the right years, countries, drugs, and you can "prove" almost anything. Europe has its cocaine. USA has its meth and Oxycontin problem.

... it is a myth that drugs are widespread in U.S. prisons themselves. Only 2 percent to 3 percent of prisoners actually obtain illegal drugs.

Just 2 days ago we learned that drugs were such a horrible problem in U.S. prisons that contact visits had to be curtailed .


[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #1 posted by BGreen on May 10, 2002 at 01:01:19 PT
Translation for the pro-jail illiterate
We can't make money by locking you up and taking your stuff if we re-legalize.

As a matter of public interest, I intend on PERSONALLY inspecting as many of those pesky, evil coffeshops in Amsterdam and the surrounding communities as I can in a couple of weeks, and I will single-handedly put them out of business by purchasing all of their contraband. It's going to be a tough job, but it's a sacrifice I'll make ... if it will save just ONE child!

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