NCJ Number
165813
Date Published
1997
Length
109 pages
Annotation
The United States/Mexico High Level Contact Group on Drug Control developed this bi-national analysis of the threat posed by drugs to the United States and Mexico as the basis for a cooperative strategy for bi-national action against the problem of illicit drugs.
Abstract
A chapter on the demand for illegal drugs in the United States and Mexico reviews drug-consumption trends in the United States for illicit drugs in general and specifically for marijuana, cocaine, stimulants, hallucinogens, heroin, and benzodiazepines. Consumption trends in Mexico are discussed for cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, marijuana, and inhalants as well as other drugs and pharmaceutical products. This chapter also discusses improvements in methods for measuring the demand for illicit drugs in both countries, the principles of demand reduction, and local communities' participation and the role of education. Also addressed are the effectiveness of demand- reduction efforts in both countries, the adaptability of demand- reduction strategies to other societies, a program for bilateral cooperation, and the development of a common program. The chapter on drug production and trafficking in the United States focuses on cocaine, heroin, precursor chemicals, methamphetamines, cannabis, other drugs and pharmaceuticals, and factors that contribute to trafficker success. The same topics are discussed in a chapter on the production and trafficking of drugs in Mexico. Other chapters consider money laundering in the United States and Mexico, illegal firearms trafficking, and the social impact of drug consumption and trafficking. The latter discussion addresses health effects, effects on crime, economic effects, and public perception of the severity of the drug problem.