A howling success, eh? Then why did Singapore and Iran have such severe heroin problems when compared to the Netherlands:
"Iran has executed more than 10,000 narcotics traffickers in the last decade;"
--www.payvand.com/news/04/mar/1012.htm
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"Iran has the highest proportion of heroin addicts in the world and a growing Aids problem."
--news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/this_world/3791889.stm
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"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
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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%. Nearly double!
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.
Any thoughts?
Yes. I've only been in Singapore twice and it appears the 'government' is following the Clintonian approach.
It's always best to eliminate the sellers and users.
Southeast Asia’s governments impose the toughest drug laws on the planet. You can’t blame them – the legendary “Golden Triangle”, a patch of real estate bordering Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, is smack in the heart of the region, and is a world hotspot of narcotics production. (The CIA Factbook calls Myanmar the “world's second largest producer of illicit opium”).
In spite of such draconian measures, certain places are flush with illegal drugs. However, you should still defer to local laws when offered a chance to indulge – your status as a foreigner does not make you less likely to be punished for drug use, quite the opposite!
Some general, unsolicited advice:
Don’t bring your personal stash with you. Don’t get conned into carrying drugs for others, whether as personal favors or for profit. The risks far outweigh the possibility of getting away with it. You can bet the Bali Nine or Schapelle Corby (see Notable Arrests below) thought they could get away with it, too.
If you’re bringing prescription drugs with you, play it safe and bring the prescription for these drugs.
Notable Drug Arrests,p> Schappelle Corby - convicted of smuggling almost 10 pounds of marijuana into Bali. She could have received a death penalty – instead, the judge sentenced her to 20 years in prison. (Schapelle Corby – Wikipedia)
Nguyen Tuong Van - hanged at Singapore’s Changi prison in 2008. He had been caught with 14 ounces of heroin at Changi International Airport during a stopover between Cambodia and Australia. The Singapore government denied the Australian government’s request for clemency. (Nguyen Van Tuong – Wikipedia)