“United Nations manipulates figures to show that the liberal Dutch drugs administration does not work.”
says Tim Boekhout van Solinge, criminologist at the University of Utrecht.
The UN wrongly want to give the impression that things are spinning out of control here, but The Netherlands are doing fine.
As an example, Boekhout van Solinge names the World Drug Report of 2000, in which the Netherlands is said to have the highest number of drug addicts of the EU. “The UN had the list of fifteen EU countries brought back to thirteen by counting Belgium, the Netherlands & Luxembourg as one country (Benelux). Combining the numbers of of the country with the highest rate (Luxembourg) with those of the country with the lowest rate of addicts (Netherlands) is dubious, because that way the country with the largest number with the country already with the smallest number. The number was also unrelated to the number of inhabitants. Therefore the Benelux was suddenly at the top of the list of countries with drugs addicts.” The errands to the outside world were clear: “The Dutch drugs administration does not work.”
The UN is a declared supporter of the tangle on drugs, a war against growers, dealers and users that must lead to a drugs lynx world. “All experts call already for years to end that fight that can never be won.”, says Boekhout van Solinge. “And it is only getting worse.”
Meanwhile the UN sees Sweden as the big example. There they to fight tried drugs with strict measures since 1977. And with great success, the UN reports, as Sweden has the lowest number of weed smokers of Europe. But also in the case of Sweden, the manipulation of figures is evident, says Boekhout van Solinge. “The fact that the Netherlands has viewer addicts, or that 8 per cent of the Swedish students sniff glue, isn’t mentioned. And that Sweden has the highest number of lethal drug victims of Europe, is not reported either. When it comes to drugs, the UN is not a trustworthy club. There’s nothing scientific about it.”
Another example? “In a WHO-report about cannabis a dramatic image of that drug is sketched. But the remarkable conclusion of the underlying documents: cannabis is less harmful than, say, alcohol or tobacco was kept out of the summary.”
Striking is that the Netherlands really does reasonably well, despite (or thanks to) the tolerant administration. In Europe the Dutch cannabis use is average, in contrast to the European trend. Cocaine use is not rising and there are relatively few lethal drug victims.
Drugs use in EU Cannabis – Ever uses: to slightest 70 million, either an on the five adults. Uses ended 12 months: about 23 million. Use past month: more than 13 million.
