[Ken H]

"The GOS [Government of Singapore] nonetheless is concerned about the increase in addiction rates and recidivism among drug offenders who have undergone treatment. There are currently about 9,000 addicts undergoing rehabilitation in Singapore treatment centers, the same number as in 1995."

--http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/1996_narc_report/index.html

For the Netherlands-- "Demand Reduction. The Netherlands has extensive demand reduction programs and low­threshold medical services for addicts, who are also offered drug rehabilitation programs. Authorities believe such programs reach about 70­80 percent of the country's 25,000 hard­drug users. [my note: in a total population of 15.1 million]

--http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/1996_narc_report/index.html

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Using a population of 3 million for Singapore in 1996, that works out to an addiction rate of about 0.30%.

Using the State Dept. figures for the Netherlands, and a population of 15.1 million, the addiction rate was about 0.17%.

Also note that the Singapore figure only takes into account the addicts under treatment, whereas the figure for Holland is the estimate of the total number of addicts.

[Vigilanteman]

Interesting stats. But I'm told by a Singaporean acquaintence that the addition rate in the late 1950's was close to 10%, so there was a much large base to start from.

Also, the Netherlands is overrun with Muzzies who would just as soon cut off your head as look at you. Compare crime rates with the lenient European countries to a strict county like Singapore and the comparison is a bit more valid. Drug use feeds crime, though there is a need to differentiate between the basically victimless soft drugs like cannabis (for which decriminalization is perhaps a logical alternative) and hard drugs like heroin.

[Know your rights]

Thanks, Ken!