Indeed, the "zero-tolerance" idea has never caught on here. Funnily, a lot of the young posers aspire to the image of the drug culture but don't actually do (can't get, possibly) drugs. There are plenty of wannabes with dope-leaf jewelry or T-shirts, but who've never smoked in their lives.
Similarly when the ecstasy set in the west were all going on the dance floor with bottles of evian, the Tokyo set were going dancing with their evian bottles... with
out having drugs.
Drugs are available here, if you look hard enough, but I am not risking the law here. In South Australia, possession for personal use = on the spot fine, pay at the post office, no record. Here, the cops can hold you for 21 days
on suspicion without bail or a lawyer, and any conviction would cost me my job, apartment, and visa, plus probable prison time. I'll pass, thanks.