[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 64 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  THE CATO INSTITUTE'S DRUG DECEPTION

                                 ______


                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 1995
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring attention to the 
truth about proposed legalization-decriminalization policies. Members 
have recently heard from the CATO Institute announcing a policy forum 
questioning the usefulness of continuing ``the unwinnable war'' on 
drugs. This forum is clearly just a thinly-veiled attempt to legitimize 
CATO's own prolegalization position.
  However, what CATO refuses to publicly acknowledge are the 
devastating results of legalization-decriminalization policy, as 
evidenced in the Netherlands, where such a policy has been in place 
since the early 1980's. The president of the Dutch National Committee 
on Drug Prevention, K.F. Gunning, M.D., reports that crime and drug use 
have skyrocketed since the implementation of legalization in the 
Netherlands. According to the Dutch Government, their legalization-
decriminalization has resulted in: A 250-percent increase in drug use 
since 1993; a doubling of marijuana use by students since 1988; armed 
robberies up by 70 percent; shootings up by 40 percent; car thefts up 
by 60 percent.
  The number of registered addicts in the Netherlands has risen 22 
percent in the past 5 years, and there were 25,000 new addicts in 1993 
alone. In addition, the number of organized crime groups in the 
Netherlands has increased from 3 in 1988 to 93 in 1993. For good 
reason, the American public has zero tolerance for legalization 
schemes.
  Mr. Speaker, drug legalization has clearly been a disastrous mistake 
for the Netherlands. If organizations like CATO achieve their goals, 
drug legalization will worsen the crime and drug problem in America as 
well.


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