NCJ Number
138821
Journal
Milbank Quarterly Volume: 69 Issue: 3 Dated: (1991) Pages: complete issue
Editor(s)
R Bayer,
G M Oppenheimer
Date Published
1991
Length
192 pages
Annotation
These six papers examine the current debate about drug legalization and decriminalization, review the current epidemiology of drug abuse both nationally and in urban minority communities, and discuss the impacts on discussions in the United States of policies developed in Great Britain and The Netherlands.
Abstract
A comparison of the current policy debate to earlier ones concludes that although decriminalization is unlikely, the discussions provide the opportunity to examine the premises underlying the massive expenditure of resources on repressive measures. A discussion of the high rates of addiction and drug-related crime in low-income minority communities concludes that theories about the ghetto underclass provide only partial explanations of the situation. Other papers argue that policy should reflect recognition that many regular users of psychoactive drugs function effectively at work and in other areas of social life, conclude that the experience with alcohol prohibition in the 1920's suggests the need for drug policy reform, and examine the reasons for interest in policy approaches being used in foreign countries.