The Dutch Vs The Americans

[MSimon]

Dutch:

Lifetime Prevalence % Last Year Prevalence %
1997 2001 2005 1997 2001 2005
Cannabis 19.1 19.5 22.6 5.5 5.5 5.4
Cocaine 2.6 2.1 3.4 0.7 0.7 0.6
Ecstasy 2.3 3.2 4.3 0.8 1.1 1.2
Amphetamine 2.2 2.0 2.1 0.4 0.4 0.3
LSD 1.5 1.2 1.4 - 0.0 0.1
Heroin 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0

US:

Substance Ever Used Used in Past Year Used in Past Month Number of Frequent Users
Alcohol 205.40 million
82.2% 165.07 million
66.1% 128.97 million
51.6% 17.29 million (Heavy users)
6.9%
Tobacco 173.93 million
69.6% 84.37 million
33.8% 70.87 million
28.4% N/A
Marijuana 102.40 million
41.0% 25.77 million
10.3% 15.02 million
6.1% N/a
Cocaine 36.77 million
14.7% 5.26 million
2.1% 1.86 million
0.7% N/A
Crack 8.45 million
3.4% 1.11 million
0.4% 359,000
0.1% N/A
Heroin 3.79 million
1.5% 453,000
0.2% 213,000
0.1% N/A

Well that doesn't translate well. So look here for the original charts:

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/67

Note that the big problem in the US is that the heroin scare affects so few users. Monthly users are around 300,000. But wait: more frequent use is not measurable.

From the same source let us see how this works:

Social Indicator Comparison Year USA Netherlands
Lifetime prevalence of marijuana use (ages 12+) 2001 36.9% 1 17.0% 2
Past month prevalence of marijuana use (ages 12+) 2001 5.4% 1 3.0% 2


So lifetime use in the US is about 2X the Dutch rate. That means not only everybody and their mother is using in the US but also the grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, and little babies.

It could be worse. Our President might have been a user. In fact it could be so bad that the last three Presidents could have been at one time or another users. Well all that is true. In drug free America the last three Presidents, Republicans and Democrats alike, were at one time or another drug users. I don't get why Americans have elected former dopers to the highest office in the land. Maybe the people generally don't care as much as the politicians do.