NCJ Number
147149
Journal
Howard Journal Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1994) Pages: 41-61
Date Published
1994
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The evolution of drug laws in Italy is analyzed in terms of its impacts and its three stages: an increasingly repressive approach that lasted until the mid-1970's, a very repressive approach toward drug traffickers combined with a treatment-based approach toward addicts, and a policy begun in 1990 that includes some deterrent measures for addicts.
Abstract
The analysis notes that this evolution in policy is similar to that in other European countries. Despite the policy changes, drug abuse has followed an autonomous course and has been affected in only a limited manner by policy changes. In contrast, the economic and social transformations that the country has undergone have had a remarkable influence on the spread of drugs. The ineffectiveness of the penal measures appears to be a further indication that an attitude typical of Western culture is both groundless and dangerous. According to this attitude, the entire concept of social control is reduced to the mere presence of the criminal law. This concept overlooks the need for action by other basic agencies of social control, including schools, families, communities, public service agencies, cultural institutions, and the media. Table, notes, and 91 references