Efficiency Arguments for and against drug prohibition

in europe, sweden spends second highest percentage of gdp, after netherlands, on drug control. unodc argues when sweden reduced spending on education , rehabilitation in 1990s in context of higher youth unemployment , declining gdp growth, illicit drug use rose restoring expenditure 2002 again sharply decreased drug use student surveys indicate. in 1998, poll run sifo of 1,000 swedes found 96% wanted stronger action government stop drug abuse, , 95% wanted drug use remain illegal.

criticizing governments have relaxed drug laws, antonio maria costa, speaking in washington before launch of world drug report in june 2006, said:

after many years of drug control experience, know coherent, long-term strategy can reduce drug supply, demand , trafficking. if not happen, because nations fail take drug issue sufficiently , pursue inadequate policies. many countries have drug problem deserve.

drug laws ineffective

one of prominent critics of prohibition in united states august vollmer, founder of school of criminology @ university of california, irvine , former president of international association of chiefs of police. in 1936 book police , modern society, stated opinion that:

stringent laws, spectacular police drives, vigorous prosecution, , imprisonment of addicts , peddlers have proved not useless , enormously expensive means of correcting evil, unjustifiably , unbelievably cruel in application unfortunate drug victims. repression has driven vice underground , produced narcotic smugglers , supply agents, have grown wealthy out of evil practice , who, devious methods, have stimulated traffic in drugs. finally, , not least of evils associated repression, helpless addict has been forced resort crime in order money drug absolutely indispensable comfortable existence.

the first step in plan alleviate dreadful affliction should establishment of federal control , dispensation – @ cost – of habit-forming drugs. profit motive gone, no effort made encourage use private dispensers of narcotics, , drug peddler disappear. new addicts speedily discovered , through treatment, of these unfortunate victims might saved becoming hopelessly incurable.

drug addiction, prostitution, , liquor, not police problem; never has been, , never can solved policemen. first , last medical problem, , if there solution discovered not policemen, scientific , competently trained medical experts sole objective reduction , possible eradication of devastating appetite. there should intelligent treatment of incurables in outpatient clinics, hospitalization of not far gone respond therapeutic measures, , application of prophylactic principles medicine applies scourges of mankind.

stephen rolles, writing in british medical journal, argues:

consensus growing within drugs field , beyond prohibition on production, supply, , use of drugs has not failed deliver intended goals has been counterproductive. evidence mounting policy has not exacerbated many public health problems, such adulterated drugs , spread of hiv , hepatitis b , c infection among injecting drug users, has created larger set of secondary harms associated criminal market. these include vast networks of organised crime, endemic violence related drug market, corruption of law enforcement , governments.

these conclusions have been reached succession of committees , reports including, in united kingdom alone, police foundation, home affairs select committee, prime minister s strategy unit, royal society of arts, , uk drug policy consortium. united nations office of drugs , crime has acknowledged many unintended negative consequences of drug enforcement.

the editor of british medical journal, dr. fiona godlee, gave personal support rolles call decriminalisation, , arguments drew particular support sir ian gilmore, former president of royal college of physicians, said should treating drugs health issue rather criminalising people , drastically reduce crime , improve health .

danny kushlik, head of external affairs @ transform, said intervention of senior medical professionals significant. said: sir ian s statement yet nail in prohibition s coffin. hippocratic oath says: first, no harm . physicians duty bound speak out if outcomes show prohibition causes more harm reduces.

nicholas green, chairman of bar council, made comments in report in profession s magazine, in said drug-related crime costs uk economy £13bn year , there growing evidence decriminalisation free police resources, reduce crime , recidivism , improve public health.

a report sponsored new york county lawyers association, 1 of largest local bar associations in united states, argues on subject of drug policy:

notwithstanding vast public resources expended on enforcement of penal statutes against users , distributors of controlled substances, contemporary drug policy appears have failed, on own terms, in number of notable respects. these include: minimal reduction in consumption of controlled substances; failure reduce violent crime; failure markedly reduce drug importation, distribution , street-level drug sales; failure reduce widespread availability of drugs potential users; failure deter individuals becoming involved in drug trade; failure impact upon huge profits , financial opportunity available individual entrepreneurs , organized underworld organizations through engaging in illicit drug trade; expenditure of great amounts of increasingly limited public resources in pursuit of cost-intensive penal or law-enforcement based policy; failure provide meaningful treatment , other assistance substance abusers , families; , failure provide meaningful alternative economic opportunities attracted drug trade lack of other available avenues financial advancement.

moreover, growing body of evidence , opinion suggests contemporary drug policy, pursued in recent decades, may counterproductive , harmful society public safety seeks protect. conclusion becomes more readily apparent when 1 distinguishes harms suffered society , members directly attributable pharmacological effects of drug use upon human behavior, harms resulting policies attempting eradicate drug use.

with aid of these distinctions, see present drug policy appears contribute increase of violence in our communities. permitting , indeed, causing drug trade remain lucrative source of economic opportunity street dealers, drug kingpins , willing engage in violent, illicit, black market trade.

meanwhile, effect of present policy serves stigmatize , marginalize drug users, thereby inhibiting , undermining efforts of many such individuals remain or become productive, gainfully employed members of society. furthermore, current policy has not failed provide adequate access treatment substance abuse, has, in many ways, rendered obtaining of such treatment, , of other medical services, more difficult , dangerous pursue.

in response claims prohibition can work, claimed antonio maria costa, executive director of united nations office on drugs , crime, drawing attention drug policy of sweden henrik tham has written s domestically important stress drug policy successful, case of sweden notion important, serving function of strengthening threatened national identity in situation traditional swedish model has come under increasingly hard attack both inside , outside country. tham questions success of swedish model - shift in swedish drug policy since around 1980 ...(more difficult receive nolle prosequi minor drug crimes) ... towards more strict model has according official point of view been successful comparison earlier, more lenient drug policy. however, available systematic indicators show prevalence of drug use has increased since around 1980, decrease in drug incidence particularly marked during 1970s , indicators point towards increase during 1990s.

leif lenke , börje olsson stockholm university have conducted research showed how drug use have followed youth unemployment in close correlation. noted unlike of europe, sweden did not have widespread , lingering youth unemployment until 1990s financial crisis, suggesting unattractive future prospects may contribute increase in drug use among young. can, swedish council information on alcohol , other drugs, 2009 report stated increase in drug use have continued since 1990s slight dip in mid-2000.

the professor emeritus in criminology @ university of oslo, nils christie, pointed out sweden hawk of international drug policy in 2004 book. said sweden serving role of being welfare alibi for, , lending legitimacy drug war. adding usa , sweden have had extraordinary influence on unodc biggest donor countries. sweden second biggest donor financing 8% of unodc budget behind european commission in 2006, followed us. in 2007 , 2008 sweden fourth biggest donor, behind european commission, usa , canada. in 2009 third, usa withdrew of funding.

an editorial in economist argued:

fear [of legalisation] based in large part on presumption more people take drugs under legal regime. presumption may wrong. there no correlation between harshness of drug laws , incidence of drug-taking: citizens living under tough regimes (notably america britain) take more drugs, not fewer. embarrassed drug warriors blame on alleged cultural differences, in similar countries tough rules make little difference number of addicts: harsh sweden , more liberal norway have precisely same addiction rates.

antonio maria costa s conviction countries have drug problem deserve if fail follow swedish model in drug control has been criticised in peter cohen s work - looking @ un, smelling rat.

in 2011 report, global commission on drug policy stated global war on drugs has failed, devastating consequences individuals , societies around world .

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