Ending drug prohibition: the ultimate austerity measure

OpEd by Frits Bolkestein, Els Borst c.s.
NRC Handelsblad (The Netherlands)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

bolkestein-opedThe ban on recreational drugs promotes crime and is bad for public health. Austerity measures to cut public spending are a hot topic for debate everywhere in Europe. In the Netherlands, where a new parliament will be elected next month, several proposals to reduce spending by 30 billion euros are on the table. All of these proposals hit where it hurts, but one option could actually be a welcome relief: drug regulation. (See also: Former ministers: legalise all drugs!)