The political economy of narcotics : production, consumption and global markets

Dr Julia Buxton is Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for International Cooperation and Security in the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, UK. Her research field covers Latin American politics; conflict prone countries and regional capacities in democracy promotion and conflict resolution. Her publications include The Failure of Political Reform in Venezuela (Ashgate, 2001) and the edited collections, with N. Phillips, Country Case Studies in Latin American Political Economy (Manchester University Press, 1999) and Developments in Latin American Political Economy (Manchester University Press, 1999). This Scholarly Examination Of The Worldwide Web Of Narcotics Today Provides Students, Social Workers, Health Providers, Law Enforcement Officers And Policy Makers With An Up-to-date, Overall Exploration Of The World Of Drugs. Vast Resources Are Pumped Into The 'war On Drugs'. But In Practice, Prohibition Has Failed. Narcotics Use Continues To Rise, While Technology And Globalisation Have Made A Whole New Range Of Drugs Available To A Vast Consumer Market. Where Wealth And Demand Exist, Supply Continues To Follow. Prohibition Has Failed To Stem Consumption And Production, Criminalised Social Groups, Impeded Research Into Alternative Medicine And Disease, Promoted Violence And Gang Warfare, And Impacted Negatively On The Environment. The Alternative Is A Humane Policy Framework That Recognizes The Incentives To Produce, Traffic And Consume Narcotics. 1. Intoxicating Substances In Historical Perspective -- The Role Of Drugs In Global Society -- Opium And Empire -- The Chinese Opium Market -- 2. The Drift To Regulation And The Idea Of Prohibition -- Drug Consumption In The Western Market -- The Advent Of Control : Britain And America Contrasted -- The Us Modernization Experience : Tension And Protest -- The Alcohol Prohibition Movement And Experience -- 3. From Regulation To Control : The Internationalization Of Drug Prohibition -- The Anti-opium Campaign In Britain -- Enter America : The Anti-opium Campaign Of The Us Government -- The Shanghai Conference Of 1909 And Its Impact -- 4. The Beginnings Of International Drug Control -- From Principle To Policy -- Evaluating The Early Drug Control System -- Domestic Drug Control -- 5. The Post-war International Drug Control Regime -- The United Nations And Drug Control -- The Post-war Model : Prohibition Victory? -- Rebellion And Division Within The Drug Control System -- 6. Trends In Drug Consumption -- The Knowledge Gap -- Patterns Of Controlled Drug Use -- Consumption Dynamics In The 2000s -- 7. Trends In Cultivation And Production -- Supply Controls Phase 1 : Opiates, Supply Reduction And The Rise Of The Golden Triangle -- Supply Controls Phase 2 : Supply Expansion And The Golden Crescent -- Coca And Cocaine -- The Manufacture And Supply Of Other Controlled Drugs -- The Traffic In And Traffickers Of Controlled Drugs -- 8. Accounting For Failure : The Problem Of Prohibition -- The Limits Of Prohibition -- The Economics Of The Drug Trade -- 9. Accounting For Failure 2 : Institutions And Policy -- Alternative Development -- Research : A Hostile Environment -- Demand-side Neglect -- By Way Of A Conclusion : Institutional Crisis And Decline -- 10. The Political Impact Of Drugs And Drug Control -- The Importance Of State Presence -- Anti-drug Responses : More Harm Than Good? -- United States : The Heart Of The Problem -- Full Circle : More Harm Than Good? -- 11. Hiv/aids And Intravenous Drug Use -- The Epidemiology Of Hiv/aids -- The Rise Of The Post-soviet Drug Problem -- Idu-related Sub-epidemics : The Global Picture -- From Idus To Broader Infection -- Conclusion -- 12. International Drug Control And Hiv/aids -- Harm Reduction And Injecting Drug Use -- Injecting Drug Use And Prisons -- Opposition To Harm Reduction -- A Problem Caused By Drug Control? -- Conclusion -- 13. Cultivation And Drug Production : The Environmental Costs -- The Greening Of The Drugs Issue -- The Environmental Costs Of Narcotic Plant Cultivation -- Drug Production And The Environment -- Drugs And The Environment : A Credible Debate? -- Conclusion -- 14. Anti-drug Policies And The Environment : The Role Of Chemical Fumigation -- Us Fumigation Strategies In Historical Context : The Mexican Experience -- Contemporary Fumigation Strategies : Plan Colombia -- The Impact Of Chemical Fumigation With Glyphosate -- The Politics Of Fumigation -- By Way Of A Conclusion -- 15. The New Magic Bullet : Bio-control Solutions -- The Evolution Of The Mycoherbicide Strategy -- The Fusarium Debate -- The Direction Of Mycoherbicide Research -- The Politics Of Mycoherbicides -- The Challenge Of Us Unilateralism -- Conclusion -- 16. A Note On Hemp -- A Brief History Of Hemp -- The Economic Causes Of Hemp's Decline -- The Political Causes Of Hemp's Decline -- The Contemporary Hemp Revolution -- Conclusion -- By Way Of A Conclusion. Julia Buxton. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 213-234) And Index. This book explores the origins, history and organisation of the international system of narcotic drug control with a specific focus on heroin, cannabis and cocaine. It argues that the century-long quest to eliminate the production, trade in and use of narcotic drugs has been a profound failure. The statistics produced by the international and domestic narcotic drug control agencies point to a sustained expansion of the drug trade, despite the imposition of harsh criminal sanctions against those engaged, as producers, traffickers or consumers, in the narcotic drugs market. The roots of this major international policy failure are traced back to the outdated ideology of prohibition, which is shown to be counterproductive, utopian and a fundamentally inadequate basis for narcotic drug policy in the twenty-first century. Prohibition, championed by many US policy makers, has left the international community poorly positioned to confront those changes to the drug trade and drug markets that have resulted from globalisation. Moreover, prohibition based approaches are causing more harm than good, as is demonstrated through reference to issues such as HIV/AIDS, the environment, conflict, development and social justice. As the drug control system approaches its centenary, there are signs that the global consensus on narcotic drug prohibition is fracturing. Some European and South American states are pushing for a new approach based on regulation, decriminalisation and harm reduction. But those seeking to revise prohibition strategies faces entrenched resistance, primarily by the U.S. This important text argues that successive American governments have pursued a contradictory approach; acting decisively against the narcotic drug trade at home and abroad, while at the same time working with drug traffickers and producer states when it is in America's strategic interest. As a result, US policy approaches emerge as a decisive factor in accounting for the failure of prohibition. This scholarly examination of the worldwide web of narcotics today provides students, social workers, health providers, law enforcement officers and policy makers with an up-to-date, overall exploration of the world of drugs. For nearly a century, regimes around the world have upheld a prohibitionist stance toward narcotics. The US has led this global consensus, enforcing recognition of international narcotics conventions and laws. Vast resources are pumped into the 'war on drugs'. But in practice, prohibition has been an abject failure. Narcotics use continues to rise, while technology and globalisation have made a whole new range of drugs available to a vast consumer market. Where wealth and demand exist, supply continues to follow. Prohibition has failed to stem consumption and production, criminalised social groups, impeded research into alternative medicine and disease, promoted violence and gang warfare, and impacted negatively on the environment. The alternative is a humane policy framework that recognises the incentives to produce, traffic and consume narcotics.

this Scholarly Examination Of The Worldwide Web Of Narcotics Today Provides Students, Social Workers, Health Providers, Law Enforcement Officers And Policy Makers With An Up-to-date, Overall Exploration Of The World Of Drugs. Vast Resources Are Pumped Into The 'war On Drugs'. But In Practice, Prohibition Has Failed. Narcotics Use Continues To Rise, While Technology And Globalisation Have Made A Whole New Range Of Drugs Available To A Vast Consumer Market. Where Wealth And Demand Exist, Supply Continues To Follow. Prohibition Has Failed To Stem Consumption And Production, Criminalised Social Groups, Impeded Research Into Alternative Medicine And Disease, Promoted Violence And Gang Warfare, And Impacted Negatively On The Environment. The Alternative Is A Humane Policy Framework That Recognizes The Incentives To Produce, Traffic And Consume Narcotics.