U.S. Drug Czar on Dutch Drug Policy

Days before drug czar Barry McCaffrey’s July 16, 1998, visit to the Netherlands, he made several statements about Dutch drug policy. In a letter responding to those statements, the Dutch Ambassador to the United States questioned the source of the drug czar’s data, stating that it "has no basis in facts and figures."

Below find McCaffrey’s statements and accurate data on drugs and crime in the Netherlands and the United States.


Murder Rate: Holland vs. U.S.

July 13th, McCaffrey stated "The murder rate in Holland is double that in the United States. The per capita crime rates are much higher than the United States ... That’s drugs." (1)

His statistics: in 1995 the U.S. had 8.22 murders per 100,000 people, while the Netherlands had 17.58 per 100,000 (2.13 times the U.S. rate).

According to the Dutch government, McCaffrey mistook "attempted murder" for "murder" data. (2)

McCaffrey spokesman James McDonough’s response to the Dutch Government: "Let's say [the data is] right. What you are left with is that they are a much more violent society and more inept [at murder], and that's not much to brag about." (3)


Marijuana Use: Holland vs. U.S.

July 13th, the Associated Press reported McCaffrey’s office as saying that 9.1% of teen-agers in the U.S. reported having ever smoked marijuana versus 30.2% in the Netherlands. In fact, marijuana use is lower in the Netherlands by all measurements.

It is unclear what source McCaffrey's office used for the data. Even comparisons between Amsterdam city and U.S. national data show lower rates of marijuana use in Amsterdam. (4)

July 9th on CNN’s "Talkback Live", McCaffrey called Dutch drug policy "an unmitigated disaster." The data suggest otherwise:

Notes:

2. Reuters, July 13 & 14, 1998. (Back)
   
3. See the press release by the Dutch Bureau of Statistics for more information, in English or Dutch. (Back)
   
4. Washington Times, July 15, 1998. (Back)
   

Check out these pages for more info and updates on the MacCaffrey/Dutch Drug Policy story:

• Point by point rebuttal of McCaffrey's piece in the July 27th LA Times
• Why Dutch Drug Policy Threatens the U.S. - Craig Reinarman's July 30, 1998, article in Het Parool, a Dutch language newspaper.