NCJ Number
198184
Date Published
2000
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Discussing Poland’s participation in international drug trafficking following the political changes of 1989 is the focus of this chapter.
Abstract
This chapter focuses on Poland’s recent participation in international drug trafficking following political change in Poland starting in 1989. After arguing that previous Communist rule in Poland made obtaining heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and hashish extremely difficult, the author cautions that this does not mean that Poland had no drug problem prior to 1989. Following a brief discussion of Poland’s home-made illegal drugs prior to 1989, this chapter maintains that illicit drug dealing in Poland is currently an emerging market with a wide range of drugs now available, including marijuana, hashish, amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, cocaine, and heroin. After arguing that increased availability of illegal drugs, through drug trafficking, does not necessarily imply increases in illegal drug consumption levels, the author discusses Poland’s Drug Abuse Prevention Act, passed in January 1985, as Poland’s first significant legislation aimed at dealing with the problems of drugs and drug abuse. Discussing the practice of combating drug-related crimes in Poland, this paper presents a series of tables summarizing Poland’s drug-related offenses from 1990 to 1998 and quantities of drugs confiscated by police and border services. This author concludes that substantial international cooperation efforts are effectively reducing both the illegal supply of drugs and the demand for them.