1) Why's prostitution legal in Holland? And will it ever become legal in the UK? - Gaz, Southend
Gedoogbeleid. Don't worry - that's not a new fetish you've not heard of. Gedoogbeleid is the Dutch tolerance policy, which applies to both prostitution and drug use. The Dutch have recognised that taking a tough line with prostitution does more harm than good. There's no point arresting the prostitutes, as it's the pimps who control the trade. The prostitutes are often vulnerable members of society who are expendable to the pimps. By legalising the sex trade, it can be effectively monitored, regulated, made safer (medically and in terms of violence) and taxed. The police and courts can focus on the most harmful aspects of it, such as human trafficking. In the UK, prostitution itself is legal, but aspects of the sex trade are illegal. Owning or running a brothel is illegal. Being a pimp is illegal. Soliciting on the streets and kerb crawling are illegal. In 2006, the government did consider legalising small brothels, but decided against it. Ultimately, it boils down to a person having the right to control what they do with their body. If someone chooses to be a prostitute, they should be allowed to. They also have the right to control what they don't do with their body. There needs to be an appropriate societal framework to protect them and ensure it's a genuine choice. Liberalising the laws regarding the sex trade would be a good thing, but it must be about people's right to choose, not vulnerable people's right to 'choose' to be oppressed.
2) Where's the most dangerous place in England? What about the safest? The most boring? - Robert, London
North Manchester is the most dangerous place in England, with 44 violent offences per 1,000 people in a year. East Dorset is the safest, with just 8 per 1,000 people. Sheffield and Southampton are also dangerous areas, whilst North Yorkshire and West Kent are also safe. The most boring town is where things get interesting. Brentwood is often thought of as being boring, especially as it's an anagram of 'bored town'. Whilst anagrams aren't that thrilling, it still drags Brentwood up above other boring towns. Redditch was in close contention, but a postcard of its bus station was voted the most boring postcard in Britain, which actually makes Redditch interesting. Every teenager will tell you their home town is the most boring one, but teenagers aren't right, they just think they are. The single most boring town is Runcorn, in Cheshire. I could tell you why, but you'd fall asleep. 
3) How many people will be in the UK in 20 years? Will the country be able to cope? I might emigrate. - Stu, London
There'll be 71 million people in the UK in 20 years, or 70,999,999 if you decide to emigrate. In the 2001 census, the population was 58,789,194. It's now at 60.8m. The population density is 250 people per sq km. Monaco is the most densely-populated country, with 16,754 people per sq km. That's the equivalent of having 4bn people in the UK. Even if the UK was equivalent to the Netherlands (395 people per sq km), it would have 96m people in it. The most densely populated areas of the UK are London and the southeast, but more people will be able to move to rural areas and work from home over the internet. You could 'emigrate' to the countryside if you wanted. If you fancy somewhere a bit warmer, how about Namibia, with 2.5 people per sq km? That'd be like having 607,250 people in the UK. If that's still not quiet enough, Greenland's your best option, with 0.026 people per sq km. This is like having just 6,315 people in the UK, which wouldn't even be enough to fill Morecambe FC's Christie Park. 
4) Which drug is the most addictive? Is alcohol really worse to get off than heroin? - Eke, Herts
To vastly simplify it, heroin is more addictive than alcohol. Addiction can be physical or psychological, with sociocultural aspects feeding into the psychological part. People's genetic makeup can also make them more susceptible to addiction in general, or certain substances in particular. Because alcohol is widely available, legal, and entwined with the social lives of so many people, it can be harder for some of those who are addicted to quit it. Nicotine is certainly more addictive than alcohol. In fact, cigarette packet warnings in Canada say "Studies have shown that tobacco can be harder to quit than heroin or cocaine." Marijuana, LSD and ecstasy don't create a physical dependence. Of course, cigarettes aren't as intoxicating as heroin, coke, pot, LSD or ecstasy. Professor David Nutt of Bristol University looked at the harmfulness of substances, considering the physical harm to the user, the addictiveness, and the impact on society. Heroin topped the list, with cocaine 2nd. Alcohol came 5th, tobacco 9th, cannabis 11th, LSD 14th and ecstasy 18th. Whatever you do or don't take, be safe and be legal.
Send your questions to chaps@maxim.co.uk.
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