NCJ Number
154171
Journal
Daedalus Volume: 121 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 269-291
Date Published
1992
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the war on drugs declared by President Bush in August 1989 concludes that in its present form it is futile both in the United States and abroad and should be replaced by a policy of liberalization.
Abstract
Phrasing the policy as a war seems to reflect this country's need to target an enemy. The policy is directed almost entirely to the supply side, whereas researchers and clinicians long involved with drug users tend to favor a demand-side approach instead. It is also important to recognize that the view of drugs as the enemy overlooks the use of psychoactive drugs throughout history. Nearly every culture has had traditional informal social controls as well as codified laws and regulations about drug use. However, nearly all drug prohibitions have been circumvented at the time and were eventually rescinded by administrators who determined the costs as greater than benefits. Currently, drug- related problems result more from drug policy than from the use of drugs. Leaving monopolistic control of production and distribution of the now-illicit drugs in the hands of criminal entrepreneurs is undesirable. The war on drugs needs an armistice. Liberalization might be a more useful term than legalization, relegalization, or decriminalization and would permit restricted access to limited quantities. Different jurisdictions would adopt different regulations, and impact evaluations could lead to choices among alternatives in terms of public health, social welfare, efficiency, and effectiveness. Reference notes