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Documents |
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| NCJ Number:
|
NCJ 185037
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| Title:
|
Commonsense Drug Policy
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| Journal:
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Foreign Affairs Volume:77 Issue:1 Dated:January/February 1998 Pages:111 to 126
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| Author(s):
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Ethan A. Nadelmann
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| Publisher Url*:
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http://www.lindesmith.org |
| Publication Date:
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1998 |
| Pages:
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16 |
| Type:
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Legislation/policy analysis |
| Origin:
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United States |
| Language:
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English |
| Note:
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DCC |
| Annotation:
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The author advocates a drug policy in the United States that emphasizes recognizing the existence of the drug problem and ensuring the least possible harm and a drug policy that is based on common sense, science, public health concerns, and human rights. |
| Abstract:
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While looking to Latin America and Asia for supply reduction solutions to the drug problem is futile, harm reduction approaches spreading throughout Europe, Australia, and North America show promise. These approaches start by acknowledging that supply reduction initiatives are inherently limited, that criminal justice responses can be costly and counter-productive, and that the single-minded pursuit of a drug-free society is dangerously quixotic. Demand reduction efforts to prevent drug abuse among children and adults are important, but harm reduction efforts are also critical to lessen the damage to those who are unable or unwilling to stop using drugs immediately. Most proponents of harm reduction do not favor legalization. They recognize that prohibition has failed to curtail drug abuse; that prohibition is responsible for much of the crime, corruption, disease, and death; and that costs associated with the drug problem mount every year. Harm reduction innovations include efforts to stem the spread of HIV by making sterile syringes readily available and collecting used syringes; allowing doctors to prescribe oral methadone for heroin addiction treatment, as well as heroin and other drugs for addicts who would otherwise buy them on the black market; establishing safe injection rooms so addicts do not congregate in public places or dangerous shooting galleries; employing drug analysis units at the large dance parties called raves to test the quality and potency of Ecstasy and other drugs bought and consumed by patrons; decriminalizing but not legalizing the possession and retail sale of marijuana and, in some cases, the possession of small amounts of hard drugs; and integrating harm reduction policies and principles into community policing strategies. Lessons learned from other countries in the use of harm reduction approaches are discussed. 1 photograph |
| Main Term(s):
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Drug policies |
| Index Term(s):
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Drug abuse ; Drug regulation ; Heroin ; Marijuana ; Methadone ; Drug prevention programs ; Decriminalization ; US/foreign comparisons ; AIDS/HIV prevention ; Drug legalization ; Needle/syringe exchange programs ; MDMA (designer drug) ; Australia ; Latin America ; Europe ; Asia ; United States of America |
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To cite this abstract, use the following link:
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=185037
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* A link to the full-text document is provided whenever possible. For documents
not available online, a link to the publisher's web site is provided.
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