In Reply to: Australia are weak posted by Saksimata on Friday, 11. February 2005 at 10:42 Bali Time:
Compare the number of heroin/cocain/hard drug addicts in the US and the number in Holland, and you'll see that drug problems have little to do with penalties and a lot to do with the societies in which people live.
There are more addicts per capita in Jakarta than in Melbourne, despite Indonesia's stricter penalties and vastly lower incomes.
Drug addiction and problems related to it are an extremely complex issue. For decades, the only attempt to solve it was through legislature and the legal system. And the problem only got worse. A much more wholistic approach is needed. Putting addicts in jail merely brings them to a place where the supply is guaranteed.