12. So called 'SOFT DRUGS'

DUTCH MUNICIPAL HEALTH SERVICE SAYS USE OF SO CALLED 'SOFT DRUGS' "WILL HAVE CONSIDERABLE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE POPULATION'S STATE OF HEALTH IN THE FUTURE"

The Dutch government has made it a point to base its policy of tolerating the use of so called 'soft drugs' on "facts, facts and facts". As time proceeds these facts are now becoming clearer.

Some years ago the GGD-Groningen (Municipal Health Service) repeated a survey that had first been conducted in 1992 among teenagers in Groningen.

• 30 percent of the Secondary Education (SE) pupils had used marijuana, hashish or weed once or more; compared to the 1992-percentage (15 percent), the figure has doubled in four years.

• Compared to 1992, the number of 13-year-old so called 'soft drug' users has quadrupled among boys and almost been multiplied by five among girls.

• 20 percent of SE-pupils are regular so called 'soft drug' users; the number of times pupils use so called 'soft drugs' is strongly depending on age: from an average of twice per month at age 13 to an average of 5.5 times per month at the age of 17.

• 14-year-old pupils use so called 'soft drugs' seven times per month on average; an alarmingly high peak according to the GGD-Groningen: "This could mean the first indication of a future 'wave' of users, possibly caused by the easy(ier) access to the substances and/or the social acceptance of using so called 'soft drugs'."

• Pupils in urban areas use twice as much so called 'soft drugs' as pupils from non-urban areas.

• As pupils grow older more of them smoke and/or use so called 'soft drugs'; 37 percent at age 13 and 60 percent at age 17; the GGD-Groningen warns: "It is clear that this will have considerable consequences for the population's state of health in the future."

• Where do pupils use so-called 'soft drugs'? 1) In coffee shops [i.e. outlets for cannabis products and paraphernalia], in cafés, at dances, 2) in the street and at school (7.6 percent of all pupils use so called 'soft drugs' during breaks at school) and 3) with friends at home.

• Use of other drugs such as mushrooms, XTC, speed, heroin, cocaine, glue, anabolic steroids and valium: 4.2 percent of the pupils use one or more of these substances at age 13 and 13.5 percent use one or more of these substances at age 17.

• Pupils who aren't feeling physically or mentally healthy have a riskier lifestyle (smoking, drinking alcohol, using so called 'soft drugs', not enough physical exercise, etc.) than those who are feeling well.

• As pupils grow older, the indifference towards or (silent) approval of criminal behaviour (e.g. dealing in so called 'soft drugs', receiving stolen goods) increases.

• There is a strong connection between criminal behaviour and the point mentioned above on the one side and using so called 'soft drugs' on the other side.

• According to the GGD-Groningen, this survey is representative of general trends in the Netherlands.

Source: HASSELA NORDIC NETWORK Press Release March 8, 1997

Drugs are illiegal because they are dangerous - They are not dangerous because they are illegal.