NCJ Number
158193
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Dated: (Autumn 1995) Pages: 525-542
Date Published
1995
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article uses survey data from a sample of Norwegian citizens, and comparative data from other European countries, to examine whether these countries' antidrug policies, which have become more stringent in recent years, reflect public attitudes toward drug use and drug law enforcement.
Abstract
The results show that there are marked differences between countries in both attitudes toward drug use and toward punitive measures to be implemented against drug offenders. People's attitudes to the level of punishment for drug offenses seem to be relatively unaffected by the actual level of punishment. Ideally, in democratic countries, the law ought to mirror the population's attitudes and changes in attitudes, but in the case of European antidrug laws, the evidence suggests that public attitudes do not match the severity of currently enforced sanctions. 4 tables, 5 figures, 12 notes, and 27 references