INTRODUCTION

The format of the 1997 Progress Report on Drug Policy conforms to that of the first Progress Report. This progress report describes the current state of affairs related to the implementation of the most significant intentions of the Memorandum on Drug. The report also considers the commitments made during consultation with the Lower House on the 1996 Drug Policy Progress report.

Separately from the Drug Policy Progress Report, the Lower House will receive two research reports and three policy memorandums from the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS): The research reports are:

• XTC in the Netherlands (A summary of the findings from six projects), Dr I Spruit;

• the summary and recommendations of Dutch addiction care (Global survey of current knowledge of supply, demand and effects), Trimbos Institute, July 1997.

The policy memorandums of the Minister of VWS concern:

• Crack/cooked coke in the Netherlands, and

The Lower House will receive the policy memorandum Addiction Care and Ethnic Minorities in September.

The report was prepared by the Official Committee for the Implementation of the Memorandum on Drugs. In the previous report the Cabinet had announced that this committee would be appointed.

The financial consequences of a number of the intentions in this report are given by the members of government involved in the Explanatory Memorandum of their own budget.