Regulating paradise The local origins of harm reduction in the Netherlands

Despite the reputation of the Netherlands being a “Drug Paradise”, we do not have a complete understanding of the development of Dutch drug policy. This thesis explores that development through a local lens by looking at the cities of Amsterdam, Arnhem, and Heerlen which had to deal with rising drug use in the second half of the twentieth century. In this period, it was especially the rise of cannabis use and heroin use that came to be framed as a problem. By employing new source material from local archives and by making use of interviews, this thesis tells the story of how, when and why drug policy and practices changed at this local level and which actors played an important role in this process. The comparison between the three distinct cities of Amsterdam, Arnhem, and Heerlen in different corners of the country shows how varied these policies could – and can be – per region. This thesis argues that the responses and thus the development of drug policy could be found at the local level, as over the years, harm reduction measures were put in place to deal with drug-related issues. This was often the result of a period of trial and error and pushbacks against drug use at first.