Amsterdam mayor calls for an end to the war on drugs
11 January 2024
Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema published an op-ed in The Guardian warning that the Netherlands risks becoming a ‘narco-state’ if governments worldwide do not reassess their drug policy. She explained that due to globalisation and the international criminalisation of drugs, the drug trade has become more lucrative, professional and violent. As a result, the Netherlands, as a transit hub, is becoming a global marketplace for drug lords, leading to escalating criminality and violence in the country.
She urges other countries to recognise the counterproductive nature of the ‘war on drugs’, calling for a global shift in drug policy; she called for alternatives to be explored, such as regulating the market, state control over the production and trade of drugs, and making substances available for medical use.
 | Nathan Domon The Netherlands has a long and successful history of liberal drug policy centred on users’ health instead of repression. However, this harm-reduction approach has always been constrained by international pressure to align with global drug prohibition norms. It is encouraging to see a politician bold enough to expose this problem and call on other international leaders for an honest and open debate about drug regulation. |
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