This book fills a void in the literature by examining from a scientific perspective the official police response to drugs, drug use, abuse, and dealing and how the different levels of police agencies process drug cases. Current drug texts simply do not address the drug problem from a criminal justice or criminological perspective in a clear, consistent fashion. At the beginning of each chapter, a series of critical thinking questions is provided. Throughout each chapter, a series of tables, figures, and charts are used to illustrate themes considered. With these items, critical thinking questions are included below each respective item. The text also makes use of Internet technology, inasmuch as students are referred to recommended Internet sites throughout each chapter. Many of these Internet sites deal with pharmacological and biological aspects of drug use. Three unique pedagogical features of the book will help students learn various drug-related issues. First, a box insert titled 'In the Streets' appears in each chapter that includes a discussion about some aspects of drug use related to the chapter's focus. A second box titled 'Tabloid Justice' also appears in each chapter discussing a particular celebrity's battles with drug abuse as it was considered in the press. A third box, 'Drugs and Research,' in each chapter highlights a specific drug study that should be of interest to students. This book will appeal to a number of criminal justice, criminology, and sociology program courses on drug abuse. Professionals interested in learning more about the criminal justice response to the drug problem, as well as police academies may also find the book useful.

The foreign interdiction and source country programs on which the United States has spent $25 billion since 1981 are intended to reduce domestic drug abuse. To examine this intersection of domestic and international interests, the Council on Foreign Relations convened an Independent Task Force to review U.S. international drug strategy and to suggest possible future directions. The bipartisan Task Force -- chaired by Mathea Falco, President of Drug Strategies, and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters -- included experts with backgrounds in diplomacy, law enforcement, economics, development, public health, judicial institutions, human rights, and multinational business.

First published in 1998, this influential volume develops previous research by the author and explores issues and solutions regarding the roles of law enforcement, drug referral and official and media reactions. Section one analyzes the rationale for drug enforcement and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of four main approaches. It looks at the pressure on the police to take action in local drugs markets, particularly within a context where the police emphasize their responsiveness to public demands in a more "consumerist" age. Section two examines welfarist policies directed towards drug users and minor drug offenders. Section 3 focuses on the media and coverage of crack-cocaine and ecstasy in the 1990s - particularly where these have been based upon police briefings and reports.

America's war on drugs. It makes headlines, tops political agendas and provokes powerful emotions. But is it really worth it? That’s the question posed by Steven Duke and Albert Gross in this groundbreaking book. They argue that America’s biggest victories in the war on drugs are the erosion of our constitutional rights, the waste of billions of dollars and an overwhelmed court system. After careful research and thought, they make a strong case for the legalization of drugs. It’s a radical idea, but has its time come?

The National Drug Control Policy has failed its two major functions (supply reduction and demand reduction) due to faulty assumptions regarding nearly every aspect of the alcohol and drug fields, charges author Fisher. Yet in spite of overwhelming evidence of this failure policy makers have strongly resisted discussing major changes to the assumptions that underly current policy, because of political pressure, bias and philosophical intransigence, he adds. Fisher discusses controversial topics and defends uncommon approaches in chapters focused on subjects including legalization, harm reduction, the futility of supply reduction, the problem of underage drinking and effectiveness of treatment and prevention. He proposes a new national policy for drug control, including elimination of the war metaphor, inclusion of alcohol in the mandate, conceptualization of addiction as a public health problem, utilization of harm reduction principles to guide policy and discontinuation of approaches that isolate drug and alcohol problems from their connection to broader social issues such as poverty. In this work, the premises of the current National Drug Control Strategy are challenged, and both Democratic and Republican administrations across the last 10 years are critically examined. Statements of the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Strategy are critiqued. Major points include that there is no evidence the NDCS has achieved any of its goals, that harm reduction should be its guiding principle, and supply reduction should not be part of the national strategy.

How should the war on drugs be fought? Everyone seems to agree that the United States ought to use a combination of several different approaches to combat the destructive effects of illegal drug use. Yet there is a remarkable paucity of data and research information that policy makers require if they are to create a useful, realistic policy package-details about drug use, drug market economics, and perhaps most importantly the impact of drug enforcement activities. Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs recommends ways to close these gaps in our understanding-by obtaining the necessary data on drug prices and consumption (quantity in addition to frequency); upgrading federal management of drug statistics; and improving our evaluation of prevention, interdiction, enforcement, and treatment efforts. The committee reviews what we do and do not know about illegal drugs and how data are assembled and used by federal agencies. The book explores the data and research information needed to support strong drug policy analysis, describes the best methods to use, explains how to avoid misleading conclusions, and outlines strategies for increasing access to data. Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs also discusses how researchers can incorporate randomization into studies of drug treatment and how state and local agencies can compare alternative approaches to drug enforcement. Charting a course toward a better-informed illegal drugs policy, this book will be important to federal and state policy makers, regulators, researchers, program administrators, enforcement officials, journalists, and advocates concerned about illegal drug use.

Combating a growing drug trafficking industry that costs society over $30 billion annually can be a difficult and dangerous task. Not only are law enforcement officials faced with drug dealers who are becoming less reluctant to use deadly weapons against them, but they also have to keep up with the constant change in constitutional law. A trial-and

This book makes a much-needed interdisciplinary and international contribution that engages with established and emerging areas of scholarship, advances cutting-edge debates, and sets an agenda for future directions in drugs policing.