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drugs is not available as an excuse for committing crimes against property. Drug users are held responsible for their own criminal activities, like all other citizens, and they are prosecuted-but they may be referred to treatment facilities. This approach cannot, unfortunately, be offered to all addicts, and, indeed, around a third of all prison inmates are drug addicts. Education on the risks of drugs (including cannabis) has been integrated into general health education. Youngsters have to learn to cope with the risks of life and to take responsibility. The Dutch believe that specific drug education, particularly when it emphasises the dangers by warning and scare tactics, is ineffective. There are no mass media campaigns. Helping agencies do not wait for addicts to approach their offices: they take the help to as many addicts as possible. A wide range of accessible treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation services is on offer, and these have realistic treatment goals primarily directed at improving addicts' physical and social functioning. Immediate abstinence is not required. Non-moralising maintenance with methadone is one of the many modalities. Addicts are encouraged to try to retain relations with "normal" society as long as possible. This "harm reduction" approach does not prevent many addicts kicking their habit in drug free facilities. It has nothing to do with pampering addicts. Failure to provide this type of care and support would simply make matters worse and increase the risks to the individual and society. Keeping close contact with addicts is also a prerequisite for achieving changes in behaviour aimed at preventing AIDS. Addicts can get condoms and clean needles free-important policies, but not a panacea. Prevention must be embedded in a broader care system. One of the services needed, for example, is open door centres for drug misusing prostitutes. What are the results of both this prosecution policy and the prevention and treatment policies? Firstly, most Dutch youngsters are not interested in drugs. In the 10-18 age group the prevalence of cannabis use at the beginning of 1989 was 2-7%.' For heroine and cocaine the figures were 0-25% and 0 3; these percentages were 0-2% and 06% for the whole population of Amsterdam.2 Crack has still not reached The Netherlands. Nationally, the number of drug addicts (about 20 000) has stabilised at about 0-15% of the population. The harm reduction approach has achieved more health consciousness among users, and most do not inject drugs-in …