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This paper provides a critical review of the empirical and theoretical literatures on illegal drug policy, including cross-country comparisons, in order to evaluate three drug policy regimes: criminalization, legalization and "depenalization." Drawing on the experiences of various states, as well as countries such as Portugal and the Netherlands, the paper attempts to identify cost-minimizing policies for marijuana and cocaine by assessing the differing ways in which the various drug regimes would likely change the magnitude and composition of the social costs of each drug. The paper updates and evaluates Jeffrey Miron's 1999 national time series analysis of drug prohibition spending and the homicide rate, which underscores the lack of a solid empirical base for assessing the theoretically anticipated crime drop that would come from drug legalization. Nonetheless, the authors conclude that given the number of arrests for marijuana possession, and the costs of incarceration and crime systemic to cocaine criminalization, the current regime is unlikely to be cost-minimizing for either marijuana or cocaine.
America's war on drugs. It makes headlines, tops political agendas and provokes powerful emotions. But is it really worth it? That’s the question posed by Steven Duke and Albert Gross in this groundbreaking book. They argue that America’s biggest victories in the war on drugs are the erosion of our constitutional rights, the waste of billions of dollars and an overwhelmed court system. After careful research and thought, they make a strong case for the legalization of drugs. It’s a radical idea, but has its time come?
The drug trade is a growth industry in most major American cities, fueling devastated inner-city economies with revenues in excess of $100 billion. In this timely volume, Sam Staley provides a detailed, in-depth analysis of the consequences of current drug policies, focusing on the relationship between public policy and urban economic development and on how the drug economy has become thoroughly entwined in the urban economy. The black market in illegal drugs undermines essential institutions necessary for promoting long-term economic growth, including respect for civil liberties, private property, and nonviolent conflict resolution. Staley argues that America's cities can be revitalized only through a major restructuring of the urban economy that does not rely on drug trafficking as a primary source of employment and income-the inadvertent outcome of current prohibitionist policy. Thus comprehensive decriminalization of the major drugs (marijuana, cocaine, and heroin) is an important first step toward addressing the economic and social needs of depressed inner cities. Staley demonstrates how decriminalization would refocus public policy on the human dimension of drug abuse and addiction, acknowledge that the cities face severe development problems that promote underground economic activity, and reconstitute drug policy on principles consistent with limited government as embodied in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Designed to cross disciplinary boundaries, Staley's provocative analysis will be essential reading for urban policymakers, sociologists, economists, criminologists, and drug-treatment specialists.
Most Americans believe that their country's forty-year 'war on drugs' has failed. Yet, instead of a serious national discussion of how to reform US drug control strategies, there remains a silent tolerance of ineffective, socially harmful laws, institutions, and policies. What is most needed now is a far-reaching debate on alternative approaches that could reduce the risks and damage from the trafficking and abuse of illegal drugs. That was also the conclusion of a highly-regarded report prepared by a distinguished group of Latin American presidents and other leaders. This report proposes six US government initiatives that would set the stage for a thorough rethinking of US drug policy.
How should the war on drugs be fought? Everyone seems to agree that the United States ought to use a combination of several different approaches to combat the destructive effects of illegal drug use. Yet there is a remarkable paucity of data and research information that policy makers require if they are to create a useful, realistic policy package-details about drug use, drug market economics, and perhaps most importantly the impact of drug enforcement activities. Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs recommends ways to close these gaps in our understanding-by obtaining the necessary data on drug prices and consumption (quantity in addition to frequency); upgrading federal management of drug statistics; and improving our evaluation of prevention, interdiction, enforcement, and treatment efforts. The committee reviews what we do and do not know about illegal drugs and how data are assembled and used by federal agencies. The book explores the data and research information needed to support strong drug policy analysis, describes the best methods to use, explains how to avoid misleading conclusions, and outlines strategies for increasing access to data. Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs also discusses how researchers can incorporate randomization into studies of drug treatment and how state and local agencies can compare alternative approaches to drug enforcement. Charting a course toward a better-informed illegal drugs policy, this book will be important to federal and state policy makers, regulators, researchers, program administrators, enforcement officials, journalists, and advocates concerned about illegal drug use.
The foreign interdiction and source country programs on which the United States has spent $25 billion since 1981 are intended to reduce domestic drug abuse. To examine this intersection of domestic and international interests, the Council on Foreign Relations convened an Independent Task Force to review U.S. international drug strategy and to suggest possible future directions. The bipartisan Task Force -- chaired by Mathea Falco, President of Drug Strategies, and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters -- included experts with backgrounds in diplomacy, law enforcement, economics, development, public health, judicial institutions, human rights, and multinational business.
Illicit drugs, despite the “war” waged by the United States government, remain a tremendous drain on the American economy and continue to take their toll on the lives of countless Americans. A comprehensive text with an instructor's manual, Drug Abuse and Social Policy in America analyzes why current US policy on the use of licit and illicit mood-altering drugs has failed. This groundbreaking book addresses differences between decriminalization, legalization, and “zero tolerance”--areas and philosophies that are poorly understood--and suggests a multipronged approach to diminish inappropriate drug use. Physicians, health care providers, teachers, law enforcement officers, policymakers, social service providers, and students of public policy and health will gain a better understanding of substance abuse as a societal problem, rather than an individual problem, and see that the billions of dollars spent on law enforcement would be better spent on education, prevention, treatment, and providing alternatives to drug use. Currently the leading risk factor associated with the transmission of HIV, illicit drugs continue to destroy the fabric of life in many inner-city communities. Yet, drugs are a problem for Americans from every corner of society, from suburban teenagers to pro athletes to homeless people. Author Barry Stimmel demonstrates in Drug Abuse and Social Policy in America that the drug problem is not being addressed adequately because of a lack of commitment from the majority of Americans and government leaders. The issues Drug Abuse and Social Policy in America asks readers to confront include: Why do we provide insufficient treatment facilities and incarcerate users, yet wonder why more prison space is needed? Why do we readily agree to build more prisons rather than community centers that provide alternatives for youths? Why are we concerned with teenage smoking and drinking, yet allow advertising of these substances? Why do we advocate rehabilitation, but not hire people in recovery? Why do we ask pregnant women with drug problems to seek help, then try to take custody of their children rather than provide social support while they receive treatment? Drug Abuse and Social Policy in America challenges academics, practitioners, and future social service providers and policymakers to rethink their entire conception of the problem of substance abuse in America with a cutting question: “Have we made any substantial progress in diminishing the sue of nicotine, the excessive consumption of alcohol, or the inappropriate use of prescription drugs, all of which are responsible for more illnesses and societal costs than all illicit drugs combined?” Identifying this as the place where all efforts to curb drug use must start, Drug Abuse and Social Policy in America offers readers many ways that individuals, communities, organizations, and society can take action and be more effective in convincing both those who consume drugs and those who profit from their sale that their actions are inappropriate and unacceptable.
It's been half a century since Richard Nixon declared his "war on drugs" yet the international drug's market continues to flourish. According to UN estimates the illegal drug trade is worth 500 billion USD a year. This book seeks to investigate why law enforcement has had a negligible impact on reducing both the consumption and production of drugs. In addition the author examines alternative strategies to prohibition in an increasingly interconnected and globalized world. After all can policies defined by the Westphalian state, where sovereignty encapsulated by rigid national boundaries' that once limited trade both licit and illicit still function in our now interconnected world? The amalgamation of states into regional bodies such as the EU, ASEAN, NAFTA or the Eurasian Union coupled to neoliberal policies has radically changed notions of the Westphalian state and eased the distribution of merchandise, goods, capital and people in both a logistical and financial sense. Processes which have been meticulously exploited by both transnational organized crime and international terrorism, constituting a security threat to states across the world.With these questions in mind the author goes beyond the traditional rather individualistic approach to the drugs debate, one that essentially reduces drug consumption to a matter of "rights" "freedom" and "morality" and seeks to address the issue also from a security point of view. Key here is how organized criminals and terrorists have proven adept at exploiting the insecurities and social pathologies that have arisen with neoliberalism and globalization and how this impacts on the role of the state. In seeking to address the issue the book examines the drugs issue from various corners of the world. It looks to the opioid epidemic in North America, Dutertes "war on drug's" in the Philippines, drug consumption in Russia after the fall of communism, the increasing involvement of terrorist organization's in the narcotics trade in places such as Afghanistan or Libya among others, before concluding that we do have options to the drugs problem and that the only thing holding us back is a fear of ourselves. ABOUT THE AUTHORCim Fez was born in Canada in 1976 Most of his secondary education followed in the UK. He was awarded his Bachelor degree in modern languages from the University of Essex, where he would also conclude studies in the Modern History of Russia. In 2014 Cim would complete his postgraduate studies in international crime in Cambridge. Cim has obtained many years of experience working for social services with people afflicted by drug addiction. This work gave him a first hand account of the social problems that can arise from drug misuse, whether this be due to the dysfunctional lifestyles drug addiction invariably promotes or due to its associated brushes with the law. While working for social services it also became apparent how these socially maladjusted individuals at times manage to perpetuate cycles of dysfunction in further generations. This generally being associated with a mindset that is beholden or at the very least prioritises drugs over any other issue in their individual orientated worlds.Cim is a regular contributor for the news outlet East & West where in addition to crime he writes on Russia and the post Soviet space, international relations, current affairs and international governmental organization's.Cim is a regular contributor for the news outlet East & West where he writes on Russia and the post Soviet space, international relations, current affairs and international governmental organization's.