Drug Law Enforcement Revisited: The “War” Against the War on Drugs

From the closure of London’s nightclub Fabric to Duterte’s drug war, law enforcement has become the policy choice par excellence for drug control by stakeholders around the globe, creating a rift between theory and practice, the former vehemently dismissing most of its alleged benefits. This article provides a fresh look on the said regime, through examining its implications in the key areas of illicit drug markets, public health, and broader society. Instead of adopting a critical stance from the start, as much of the literature does, the issue is evaluated from the perspective of a focus on the logic and rationality of drug law enforcement approaches, to showcase from within how problematic the latter are. The article concludes by suggesting at least a reconceptualization of the concept, to give way to more sophisticated policies for finally tackling the issue of illegal drugs effectively.

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Spatial Competition in Illicit Drug Markets: The Consequences of Increased Drug Law Enforcement

Review of Regional Studies ◽

10.52324/001c.9114 ◽

1993 ◽

Author(s):

David W. Rasmussen ◽

Bruce L. Benson ◽

David L. Sollars

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Illicit Drug ◽

Spatial Competition ◽

Drug Markets ◽

Drug Law ◽

Drug Law Enforcement

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The politics of law enforcement in Nigeria: lessons from the war on drugs

The Journal of Modern African Studies ◽

10.1017/s0022278x09990036 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 529-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Gernot Klantschnig

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Academic Research ◽

War On Drugs ◽

Illegal Drug ◽

Drug Control ◽

Institutional Politics ◽

Drug Law ◽

Drug Law Enforcement ◽

Institutional Dimension

ABSTRACTThis article examines the institutional politics of law enforcement in Nigeria by focusing on illegal drug control since the mid 1980s. It assesses the available academic research on law enforcement governance, and contrasts it with an in-depth case study of drug law enforcement. The case study confirms views of the politicised nature of law enforcement. However, it goes beyond the patron–client centred approach to politics prevalent in the literature on African policing. The article adds an institutional dimension to the study of law enforcement governance, highlighting processes of centralisation, exclusion and shifting bureaucratic interests that have been central to the development of Nigerian drug law enforcement. It is based on previously inaccessible data from inside Nigerian drug law enforcement.

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Where Is the Fairness in Canadian Cannabis Legalization? Lessons to be Learned from the American Experience

Journal of Canadian Studies ◽

10.3138/jcs-2020-0042 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 395-418

Author(s):

Akwasi Owusu-Bempah

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

The United States ◽

Systemic Racism ◽

American Experience ◽

Drug Law ◽

Drug Law Enforcement ◽

The Us ◽

International Attention ◽

Drug Prohibition

Canada has received praise and international attention for its departure from strict cannabis prohibition and the introduction of a legal regulatory framework for adult use. In addition to the perceived public health and public safety benefits associated with legalization, reducing the burden placed on the individuals criminalized for cannabis use served as an impetus for change. In comparison to many jurisdictions in the United States, however, Canadian legalization efforts have done less to address the harms that drug law enforcement has inflicted on individuals and communities. This article documents the racialized nature of drug prohibition in Canada and the US and compares the stated aims of legalization in in both jurisdictions. The article outlines the various reparative measures being proposed and implemented in America and contrasts those with the situation in Canada, arguing, furthermore that the absence of social justice measures in Canadian legalization is an extension of the systemic racism perpetuated under prohibition.

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Assessing the concordance between illicit drug laws on the books and drug law enforcement: Comparison of three states on the continuum from “decriminalised” to “punitive”

International Journal of Drug Policy ◽

10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.12.013 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 148-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Vendula Belackova ◽

Alison Ritter ◽

Marian Shanahan ◽

Caitlin E. Hughes

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Illicit Drug ◽

Drug Laws ◽

Drug Law ◽

Drug Law Enforcement ◽

The Continuum

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The deterrent effects of Australian street-level drug law enforcement on illicit drug offending at outdoor music festivals

International Journal of Drug Policy ◽

10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.12.018 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 91-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Caitlin Elizabeth Hughes ◽

Vivienne Moxham-Hall ◽

Alison Ritter ◽

Don Weatherburn ◽

Robert MacCoun

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Illicit Drug ◽

Music Festivals ◽

Street Level ◽

Drug Law ◽

Drug Law Enforcement

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Are drug arrests a valid measure of drug use? A time series analysis

Policing An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management ◽

10.1108/13639511211250749 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 458-467 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Steve Moffatt ◽

Wai‐Yin Wan ◽

Don Weatherburn

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Drug Use ◽

Illicit Drug ◽

Illicit Drug Use ◽

Content Type ◽

Contemporaneous Correlation ◽

Drug Law ◽

Drug Law Enforcement ◽

Drug Arrests ◽

Enforcement Activity

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine whether trends in arrests for heroin, amphetamine‐type substances (ATS) and cocaine can be used as indicators of trends in the use of these drugs.Design/methodology/approachThe question was addressed using ARIMA models to analyse the relationship between arrests and emergency department (ED) admissions for narcotics, amphetamine type substances (ATS) and cocaine.FindingsStrong positive correlations were found for the narcotics and cocaine series between arrests and EDs in the same month (contemporaneous correlation) and between arrests in the current month and overdoses in earlier months (lagged correlation). The contemporaneous correlation between ATS arrests and EDs was slightly less strong than the lagged correlations at two and four months. A jump in ATS EDs, was followed by a jump in arrests in the same month and then two and four months later.Practical implicationsArrests for narcotics use/possession, ATS use/possession and cocaine use/possession may in some circumstances provide useful intelligence about drug trends and/or a basis for evaluating the impact of police drug law enforcement activity on the use of narcotics, ATS and cocaine when other stronger measures of drug use are not available.Originality/valueEfforts to evaluate local drug law enforcement activity on illicit drug use have been hampered by poor measures of trends in illicit drug use at small area levels. This is the only study the authors are aware of that has examined the long‐term relationship between illicit drug arrests and emergency department admissions for illicit drug use.

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‘We Realised We Needed a New Approach’: Government and Law enforcement Perspectives on the Implementation and Future of the Drug Decriminalisation Policy in Vietnam

10.21203/rs.3.rs-18285/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hai Thanh Luong ◽

Luc Trong Hoang ◽

Toan Quang Le ◽

Tuan Anh Hoang ◽

Mai Thanh Vu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Drug Use ◽

Harm Reduction ◽

Drug Policy ◽

Drug Control ◽

People Who Use Drugs ◽

Community Based ◽

Drug Law ◽

Drug Law Enforcement ◽

Law Enforcement Officials

Abstract Background In 2009, Vietnam officially decriminalized drug use through amendments to the criminal law. The amendments specifically outlined that drug use would be seen as an administrative sanction, but not a criminal offence. This legal transition has not been without its implementation challenges and police particularly are have struggled to balance their role between drug law enforcement and decriminalisation. Despite being a health-orientated drug policy amendment, in practice it has meant that police can send suspected drug users to compulsory treatment centres without judicial oversight and people who use drugs continue to face challenges in their interface with law enforcement which can negatively impact access to harm reduction and community-based treatment programs. This paper explores the perspectives of policy makers and law enforcement officials in Vietnam and provides some insights and considerations into how the amended law was implemented and how it could be made more effective in improving both health and safety for all people in Vietnam. Methods To understand government and policing perspective on amended changes to the Criminal Code in 2009 and its subsequent implementation, this mixed methods research combined content analysis of a number of core legislations in terms of drug control policies in Vietnam with perspectives and insights from 14 key informant interviews from people representing a range of relevant Vietnamese Government (n=10) and non-government agencies (n=4). Results While most interviewees recognised that decriminalizing drug use in Vietnam was designed as a a progressive and health-oriented drug policy, many participants acknowledged the ongoing disconnect between the health intent of the policy and the police-led oversight of its implementation in the community. Part of this disconnect was explained by the lack of training and clear protocol that would enhance the police in their ability to contribute to the health intent of the policy rather than continue to view drug use through a drug law enforcement only lens. A current pilot initiative by Hanoi’s People Committee to implement a model of assisted referral for people who use drugs to community-based health, social and legal support may provide an example of how to situate decriminalisation policy within a broader context of harm reduction interventions through the design and trial of clear protocols for how law enforcement agencies can actively engage and support the process of diversion into harm reduction and community-based treatment. Conclusions Since the inception of the amended law there has been very little review and analyses of its implementation progress and its challenges. This is the first study to review and assess the progress of decriminalizing drug use since the policy intervention in 2009 with a specific focus on the perceptions of the policy for Vietnam’s drug control in policing. It discusses insights and considerations from government, law enforcement officials and civil society organisations to develop a deeper understanding of how harm reduction interventions – including decriminalisation – can co-exist within a broader and entrenched drug control strategy in Vietnam.

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