Chap 13

Hysteria and drug myths:

Drugs and “non-drugs”?“Protect our children”Drug dealers as predators“Killer drugs”Drugs and crimemany many more!

Chap 13

What are the trends in illegal drug use and what are the two parts of the drug problem identified by Elliott Currie?

– General population -- decrease– Poor/Minorities/Teens -- chronic problem

Chap 13

Note: Huge incr in use of legal drugs (driven by the pharmaceutical industry)

and alcohol (alternative to illegal drugs)

Both are much more harmful and costly than illegal drugs!

Chap 13

Several drug problems:

Illegaldrugs

Legal drugs:

Alcohol.Tobacco,Sugar?

etc.

Prescription

drugs

Chap 13

What are Walker’s three general conclusions about the trends?

(relation of illegal drugs to serious crime)

1. Gen pop decrease in 1970s-80s2. 1985 -1990 Crack epidemic spreads3. Since early 1990s crack decrease

Chap 13

What are the three connections between illegal drugs and crime?

1. Drug-defined crimes2. Drug-related crimes3. Crime and Drug use associated (“deviant life style”)

Chap 13

What are “gateway” drugs and is the gateway claim consistent with research evidence?

– “Soft drugs” lead to “hard drugs” ---

– This is a drug warrior myth!!

Chap 13

What are “Hawks, Doves, and Owls”? – Which approach guides the “war on drugs”?

– A useful way to look at the problem??

Chap 13

Hawks -- run the “war on drugs”

– “Supply reduction” heavy emphasis on law enforcement

– Political propaganda leads to public/polit support for this approach

Chap 13

Doves -- critics of the war on drugs

– Emphasize “harm reduction”

– Advocate some legalization/decrim

– Similar to many European approaches

Chap 13

Owls -- middle approach

– emphasizes “demand reduction” through drug education and treatment programs

– Liberal/Rehab oriented approach

Chap 13

What has been the real impact of the war on drugs?

1. Huge cost -- money and human costs2. Criminalization of Poor/Minorities3. Imprisonment Binge & destroyed lives and communities4. Little impact on illegal drug use

Chap 13

What are the three general components of the war on drugs and do any work?

1. Law enforcement 2. Interdiction/Eradication 3. Tougher sentencing

None work -- displacement, replacement, low clearance, supply and demand

Chap 13

What are the “lessons of history”? Is declining tobacco use an example of “owl”

strategy?

Tobacco -- restrictions and education

But “dumping” -- from 400k Amer deaths/year to 4 million global deaths/year

+ hasn’t worked with alcohol

Chap 13

What are the “lessons of history”?

1. Supply and Demand problem2. Illegal economies3. “Collateral Damage”4. Adaptation

Chap 13

What is “demand reduction” (“owl”/liberal approach) and what are its strategies?

Persuasion involving:

1. “Information”2. Fear3. Moral appeal4. Resistance strategies

Chap 13

Does “drug education” work? (does it reduce drug use?)

Two key problems:

1. Honest education vs. Propaganda2. Peer pressure and impulsive behavior

Chap 13

What are the varieties of drug treatment and what is the “relapse problem”?

“Reported success” (in-house studies) vs.Dropouts, Relapse, Aging out

Chap 13

Does anybody know why crack use has declined (and with it violent crime)?

Most drugs are fads(Crack: Cities - E Coast to W Coast to Interior)

and are soon replaced by new drugs/fads --e.g. Ecstacy, “designer drugs,” meth, etc.

+ stabilization of “markets”

Chap 13

Varieties of decrim/legalization strategies?

Maximalists -- libertarian approachMinimalists -- focus on “soft drugs”Agnostics -- study the problem rationally

e.g., National Commission

(CU Report alternative 30 years ago - Decentralize/Localize the issue)

Chap 13

What are 7 areas of impact of decrim?

1. Impact on drug use2. Impact on crime3. Money saved4. Impact on illegal economies5. Impact on CJS6. Impact on eroding individual rights7. Impact on general “quality of life”

Chap 13

What does Walker conclude about the decriminalization/legalization issue?

– National Commission to study relations among Drugs - Economy - Crime

– And make practical recommendations

Chap 13

What does Walker conclude about the whole drug/drug policy problem?

No real answers to drug problems.Punishment/Treatment don’t work.

(“Make peace” with drug use?)