It is impossible to contain the global trade in illegal drugs. Therefore it makes more sense from a public health perspective to invest in prevention and harm reduction. This can be concluded from a study on the drug problem and drug policy in 18 countries, including the Netherlands.
In 1999, the United Nations undertook steps to substantially reduce the global drugs problem. However, the policy adopted to achieve this goal has not been effective, according to an
Analysis of global drug production and trade conducted in 2008 by the Trimbos Institute and Rand (a renowned American institute for policy analysis). Whether the drugs involved are opiates, cocaine, amphetamine or cannabis, there is no decline to be seen in production, trafficking or use of any of these drugs.
So what measures can be taken to combat the drugs trade – and the associated organised crime? One option worth following is to invest in preventative measures that influence the demand for drugs. For instance, if experimental drug use among youngsters can be delayed for a few years through prevention programmes, then the likelihood of problem use and/or addiction is substantially reduced.
A second option could be to invest more in health measures. This could yield direct health gains. In countries with active needle exchange and methadone programmes, there are substantially fewer new HIV infections among drug users.
In the light of this background, the researchers believe that Dutch drug policy, with its less heavy-handed, more realistic approach, specified according to addictive substance, deserves greater appreciation, and is even worthy of imitation.
The research findings indicate that a change in drug policy is called for. There should be less emphasis on head-on confrontation with the drugs trade and more emphasis instead on prevention and harm reduction. In the US in particular this is a sensitive issue, in view of that country’s war on drugs and zero tolerance approach, which leaves no place for harm reduction.
