NCJ Number
68192
Journal
CAPITULO CRIMINOLOGICO Volume: 4 Dated: (1976) Pages: 99-110
Date Published
1976
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THE PHENOMENA OF DRUG ADDICTION AND DRUG TRAFFICKING ARE EXPLORED FROM A RADICAL CRIMINOLOGIST'S VIEWPOINT, WITH THE STATED OBJECTIVE OF DEFLATING CURRENT CONTROL PHILOSOPHIES (HERE CALLED REPRESSIVE) AND STEREOTYPING.
Abstract
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH IN INVESTIGATING CRIMINOLOGICAL ISSUES IS REQUIRED FOR ANY SERIOUS SCIENTIFIC EFFORT IN ORDER TO AVOID COMPARTMENTALIZATION OF RELATED ELEMENTS AND TO PLACE SO-CALLED DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IN A WIDER SOCIOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXT. A RELATIVISTIC APPROACH MUST BE USED IN EXPLORING THE DRUG ADDICTION AND DRUG TRAFFICKING PHENOMENA, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER TYPE OF CRIMINALIZED CONDUCT. CURRENT SURVEYS OF DRUG USE ARE BASED ON A NUMBER OF ASSUMPTIONS. DRUG USERS ARE STEREOTYPED AS SICK INDIVIDUALS, FOR INSTANCE, AND SURVEY RESULTS MUST BE DRAMATIC TO JUSTIFY ALLOCATIONS AND EXPENDITURES OF HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, NATIONALLY AND SUPRANATIONALLY, FOR PREVENTION AND REPRESSION OF DRUG USE AND TRAFFICKING. MODELS OF DRUG USE AND PREVENTION ARE IMPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES. DRUG USERS ARE CHARACTERIZED, AND/OR LABELED ACCORDING TO A DOUBLE STANDARD OF GOVERNMENTAL AND ESTABLISHMENT ATTITUDES: MEMBERS OF THE UPPER SOCIOECONOMIC CLASSES ARE DEFINED AS 'VICTIMS OF A DRUG DEALER GANG', WHILE LOWER-CLASS USERS ARE LABELED AS JUNKIES AND HOODLUMS. THE SCIONS OF DISTINGUISHED FAMILIES ARE SENTENCED TO UNDERGO MEDICAL TREATMENT TO BE CURED, WHILE LOWER-CLASS ADDICTS ARE SENT TO PRISON. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT NO SOLUTIONS TO THE DRUG ABUSE AND DRUG TRAFFICKING PROBLEMS WILL BE FOUND UNDER CAPITALIST SYSTEMS OF PRODUCTION AND IN NEOCOLONIALIST ENVIRONMENTS. NO BIBLIOGRAPHY IS GIVEN. --IN SPANISH.