Assessing the concordance between illicit drug laws on the books and drug law enforcement: Comparison of three states on the continuum from “decriminalised” to “punitive”

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 148-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vendula Belackova ◽  
Alison Ritter ◽  
Marian Shanahan ◽  
Caitlin E. Hughes
2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Alexandris Polomarkakis

From the closure of London’s nightclub Fabric to Duterte’s drug war, law enforcement has become the policy choice par excellence for drug control by stakeholders around the globe, creating a rift between theory and practice, the former vehemently dismissing most of its alleged benefits. This article provides a fresh look on the said regime, through examining its implications in the key areas of illicit drug markets, public health, and broader society. Instead of adopting a critical stance from the start, as much of the literature does, the issue is evaluated from the perspective of a focus on the logic and rationality of drug law enforcement approaches, to showcase from within how problematic the latter are. The article concludes by suggesting at least a reconceptualization of the concept, to give way to more sophisticated policies for finally tackling the issue of illegal drugs effectively.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Elizabeth Hughes ◽  
Vivienne Moxham-Hall ◽  
Alison Ritter ◽  
Don Weatherburn ◽  
Robert MacCoun

Author(s):  
Steve Moffatt ◽  
Wai‐Yin Wan ◽  
Don Weatherburn

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine whether trends in arrests for heroin, amphetamine‐type substances (ATS) and cocaine can be used as indicators of trends in the use of these drugs.Design/methodology/approachThe question was addressed using ARIMA models to analyse the relationship between arrests and emergency department (ED) admissions for narcotics, amphetamine type substances (ATS) and cocaine.FindingsStrong positive correlations were found for the narcotics and cocaine series between arrests and EDs in the same month (contemporaneous correlation) and between arrests in the current month and overdoses in earlier months (lagged correlation). The contemporaneous correlation between ATS arrests and EDs was slightly less strong than the lagged correlations at two and four months. A jump in ATS EDs, was followed by a jump in arrests in the same month and then two and four months later.Practical implicationsArrests for narcotics use/possession, ATS use/possession and cocaine use/possession may in some circumstances provide useful intelligence about drug trends and/or a basis for evaluating the impact of police drug law enforcement activity on the use of narcotics, ATS and cocaine when other stronger measures of drug use are not available.Originality/valueEfforts to evaluate local drug law enforcement activity on illicit drug use have been hampered by poor measures of trends in illicit drug use at small area levels. This is the only study the authors are aware of that has examined the long‐term relationship between illicit drug arrests and emergency department admissions for illicit drug use.


1986 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward M. Brecher

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-418
Author(s):  
Akwasi Owusu-Bempah

Canada has received praise and international attention for its departure from strict cannabis prohibition and the introduction of a legal regulatory framework for adult use. In addition to the perceived public health and public safety benefits associated with legalization, reducing the burden placed on the individuals criminalized for cannabis use served as an impetus for change. In comparison to many jurisdictions in the United States, however, Canadian legalization efforts have done less to address the harms that drug law enforcement has inflicted on individuals and communities. This article documents the racialized nature of drug prohibition in Canada and the US and compares the stated aims of legalization in in both jurisdictions. The article outlines the various reparative measures being proposed and implemented in America and contrasts those with the situation in Canada, arguing, furthermore that the absence of social justice measures in Canadian legalization is an extension of the systemic racism perpetuated under prohibition.


Addiction ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 100 (8) ◽  
pp. 1110-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Smithson ◽  
Michael McFadden ◽  
Sue-Ellen Mwesigye

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