Empirical evidence suggests that a considerable share of the population has consumed illegal drugs during some period of their lives. A substantial proportion of drug users have a job and family. Many "mature out" of drug consumption in their thirties, and most drug users are normal consumers who respond systematically to relative prices. After recognizing the failure of a repressive drug policy, Switzerland allows carefully screened heavy addicts to inject heroin at a nominal price while raising the cost to potential entrants. This policy has produced encouraging results. The health of heroin users has improved, and crime has declined. Due to the large number of drug-repressive European Union member countries, the effort to homogenize drug policies to achieve a common drug policy for Europe would probably result in a repressive approach that would disallow Switzerland's promising policy. 27 references