Drugs, Crime And Public Health The Political Economy Of...

â€Å"The debate on drugs is dominated by one, endlessly recurring argument. Should drugs be legal or prohibited?† Throughout the world, the subject of drugs is highly controversial therefore; the policy on drugs does vary from country to country. This essay will take note of the similarities and differences between not only the drug policies but also the public debate on drugs in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the historical context and issues will be put into consideration, followed by the situation in the present day. The main texts discussed within this essay are â€Å"Drugs, Crime and Public Health: The political economy of drug policy – Alex Stevens† as well as â€Å"Understanding drugs, alcohol and crime – Trevor Bennet and†¦show more content†¦In general, â€Å"the Netherlands can be thought of as being a relatively ‘lenient’ country in its approach to drug use.† The most important law that the Du tch government is involved with, relates to the International Opium Convention. The Opium act 1919 was implemented in order to regulate both the use as well as the trade of soft and hard drugs. The act involves giving penalties to those possessing drugs depending on the type. For example, Schedule I relates to hard drugs and leads to harsher penalties than Schedule II which concerns soft drugs. Historically, again due to the Dutch empire being so vast, the trade of drugs was popular with colonies in Asia which produced opium and brought a lot of income. This meant that the Opium act was opposed by the Dutch government as it would lead to a loss of income. Some would argue that there is an element of success to having policies like this as currently in the Netherlands there are â€Å"fewer arrests being made for soft drug possession (specifically cannabis)-19 for every 100 citizens† and this shows that although people have opposed the idea, it is having a positive impact. Coffee shops are a huge part of the drug culture in the Netherlands, as here it is acceptable to consume cannabis without disciplinary action from the local