NCJ Number
165647
Editor(s)
P H Smith
Date Published
1992
Length
369 pages
Annotation
This book resulted from a series of workshops held in 1990 and 1991 under the auspices of the Project on Hemispheric Cooperation for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Traffic; basic workshop premises were that illicit drugs challenge institutions and governments throughout the Americas and that the drug problem requires a collective response.
Abstract
The book examines every link of the drug chain, from production to consumption and money laundering, and explodes many myths about solutions to the drug problem. The mix of U.S. and Latin American expert opinions provides a well-balanced view of the drug problem and its dynamics. The authors challenge many accepted premises about drug policies and programs and question the validity of many ongoing domestic, bilateral, and multilateral approaches. Attention is focused on the central role played by demand in developed countries, especially the United States, and the enormous profits generated by this demand. The transnational nature of the drug trade is discussed, and important insights are provided on how to promote more effective intergovernmental cooperation. Book chapters are organized according to three parts: (1) defining the problem--drug abuse patterns in the United States, drug abuse in Latin America, economic impact of narcotics in Colombia, and coca production in Peru and Bolivia; (2) assessing policy alternatives--Colombian drug cartels, military role in drug law enforcement, drug policies in Mexico, drug smuggling, therapeutic community approaches to underclass drug abuse, community mobilization, drug abuse prevention in Latin America, drug demand policies and prospects, and drug legalization; and (3) exploring international cooperation. Notes, tables, and figures