Start Beter Drugsbeleid (Start Better Drug Policy) is an initiative of Stichting Beter Beleid (Foundation Better Policy). This foundation strives to facilitate a serious debate on issues that are lost in political claims, daily media coverage or cultural doctrines. These issues are complex, which makes an unjustly simplified version seem like to only truth. Drug policy is such an issue.
The current drug policy has failed. The Dutch police sees drug-related crime rise in Amsterdam and inhabitants of the southern provinces struggle with pollution and subversion. At the same time, the Netherlands remains a prominent producer of XTC and the profit of our drug trafficking is estimated at almost 19 billion euros per year. Whether you think drugs are good or bad, nobody wants this.
And so it appears. Experts, mayors and prominent members of the international community advocate for regulated production and distribution of drugs. Despite this, large organizations do not dare to take up the glove and speak up. During the preparation of Start Beter Drugsbeleid, many marketing agency’s, PR agency’s, lobbyists and media corporations did not want to have anything to do with this message. That’s why Stichting Beter Beleid joins in.
Stop this drug paranoia. Start a better drug policy.
Mission
Our mission is to facilitate a realistic and open dialogue about our current drug policy. This dialogue should be based on facts about drug use and its dangers instead of a mislead instinct that drugs are inherently ‘bad’.
We acknowledge that there are risks tied to psychoactive drugs. We acknowledge that there are problems with its production, distribution and the use of some drugs. But by prohibiting everything, you lose control. Moreover, the differences between drugs are huge. Therefore, we hope for a drug-specific policy on the basis of harmfulness for individuals and their environment.
We stand for deliberate and careful drug use, adequate and easily available tests, regulated production and distribution and proper education. The exact formulation of the new drug policy is not up to us, but we will support it as long as it is created with a realistic and open dialogue!
