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By Frank (registered) | Posted June 12, 2009 at 15:01:26
While it's quite easy to quote stats related to the Netherlands, it seems like the Dutch themselves after a 10 year or so period have started to "regulate" the use of soft drugs. While the actual drug use numbers haven't gone up, the people using rehab has.
Comparing the drug use policies between Holland and say here or the US is actually quite futile. The drug use here in North America is higher, and society itself is different. Adults trying to live the "American" dream has prevented many families from having proper relationships with their parents and as a result many behaviours that are detrimental to health and well being are left up to the kids to decide with little or no instruction or involvement from said parents. Society in the Netherlands is WAY different than here. Community involvement, the family unit, good parenting etc are core values that their society still holds dear. In many families, the wealth of a parent isn't determined by the size of their bankroll but rather by the success of their children.
It's quite possible that increased jail times may not be the answer, legalizing soft drugs is not the answer either...especially in our society. In fact, while some soft drugs are decriminalized in the Netherlands, possession and production for personal use still net you a fine. (although it's not enforced very often)
I understand Jason's argument because the effect of drugs on a person are more likely to have a greater on a persons' wellbeing than a lot of other things that we do have regulations about. However, supporting legalization because we can spend the money we currently use to enforce the rules on rehabilitation and have the same net result is a weird argument. If that's the case, then why not leave things the way they are? You also run the risk of what I believe is happening in the Netherlands where you create a cyclical problem as more of society now tries the drug and more of society needs to be rehabilitated from the drug however the numbers of people currently using it stays the same.
To me, if this is actually the case then we should be able to also legalize handguns and see the same result.
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