Select Committee on Home Affairs Memoranda


Annex 1

DRUGS IN THE NETHERLANDS





  Sources: 1/2/3: Dutch Governmental Paper on Alcohol; 2001-2003.

  2: (number of alcoholics): Trimbosinstitute, Mensink & Spruit, 1998.

  4: Personal information from high officials of Justice Department and Police.

  The Netherlands Drug Policy Foundation ("Stichting Drugsbeleid"—SDB) was founded in 1996. It strives for a drug policy with less health risks and less crime.

  In 1996 the SDB published a report, titled "Drug Control through Legalisation". It broke through the existing taboo on legalising drugs in the public debate, putting forward a concrete plan.

  In 1998 we published a plan to regulate the growing of cannabis to be sold in the "coffeeshops", and organised a lobby of city majors urging the government to allow such regulatory measures. It resulted in a majority motion in Parliament, and the promise by the government to stimulate an international debate on cannabis.

BOARD:

  R Dufour—president, director private company

  Marijke AS Van Sprang-Kamstra—secretary, member city-council Lelystad for Democrats 66

  RT Steinbuch—treasurer

  R van Diessen—alderman Tilburg for Liberal Party VVD

  JWE Gutteling—alderman Apeldoorn for Socialist Party PvdA

  J van Leijenhorst—former alderman, member city-council Utrecht for Green-Left Party Groen Links

  F Polak—psychiatrist Amsterdam

  J Schijf—former alderman Heerhugowaard for Liberal Party VVD

  JG van der Tas—former ambassador in Germany

ADVISORY BOARD:

  Hedy d'Ancona—former Minister of Public Health, former member of the European Parliament

  ThMG van Berkestijn—former Secretary General of the Royal Dutch Medical Association

  A van Dantzig—psychiatrist

  H Drion—former vice-president High Court of Justice

  JF Glastra van Loon—former Under-Minister of Justice

  R van der Hoeven—Public Prosecutor

  M Lap—advisor drug-policy

  JCM Leijten—former Public Prosecutor at the High Court of Justice

  T Reitsma—Superintendent of Police


 
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Prepared 20 December 2001