Drug Policy Analysis

Superior Essays
Drug policies have become somewhat of a hot topic of discussion in Europe and the United States and many other countries all over the world. In many countries, there have been debates about the legalization and control of previously or currently illegal substances, and this could change the dynamic of drug consumption and trafficking in the future. In the European Union specifically, there is no unified drug policy that all of the member states must follow. The law is designed so that individual states decide the legislation for drugs. There are two members of the European Union, in particular that have completely different perspectives when it comes to drug policy. The first is Sweden, with its no tolerance policy for drugs of any kind, and …show more content…
First there is Sweden, which has a zero-tolerance policy. “The goal for the drug policy as proclaimed by parliament in 1978 is to eliminate all drugs from society” (Tops). The country focuses on primarily preventative measures to stop both the trafficking of drugs but also the use of them by all citizens, especially the youth. It is very common for school’s the include curriculum to teach children about the dangers of drugs (Tops). The zero-tolerance stance also means that there is no room for harm-reduction measures and also no distinction between hard drugs such as ecstasy and heroin, and soft drugs such as cannabis and hash. This means that all drug use is criminalized to the same degree regardless of the …show more content…
This led to an amendment of the Opium Act that legislated the difference between soft and hard drugs (Sarkany). This distinction is very important for the Netherlands because it allows the government to focus on the hard drugs that are affecting it’s citizens and helping people with addictions to those drugs. There is one controversial practice in the Netherlands today and that is the coffee houses that have special permission to sell a limited amount of soft drugs, as long as they abide by the government regulations. In the Netherlands “the liberal regulation of drugs… is based on the notion that if one cannot completely eradicate [it], one must make it more visible and thus treatable and creating the possibility of the illegal element and its ties to organized crime disappear” (Sarkany, 34). Instead of completely hiding drugs and the problems that accompany them, the Netherlands would rather find new ways to regulate hard drugs and integrate users of soft drugs into

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The article, “Russell Brand: Philip Seymour Hoffman is another victim of extremely Stupid drug laws”, from the Guardian, on Thursday 6 February 2014, discusses Hoffman’s’ addiction to heroin and his untimely death. Russell Brand claims that the actor, who died from heroin overdose, died due to the drug laws that exist today. He also stresses that the stigma attached to addiction and mental health issues continues to, from a social perspective, criminalize drug addiction. He appeals to our emotions when he provides us with personal experience, as he is a former addict himself. He illustrates why prohibition does not work.…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One of the hottest topics that has been widely discussed lately is the “drug war”. A regular columnist and professor of economics at Samford University, Art Carden argues in his article Forbes, “Let’s Be Blunt: It’s Time to End the Drug War” for the end of the drug prohibition. The purpose of the article is to persuade the readers that the war on drugs has been a costly failure, causing unintended negative economic consequences. Overall, Carden’s argument is convincing because he offers a strong, clear thesis with persuasive logical evidences as supports.…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The majority of policies prior to 1970 were related to a more broad approach of controlling the sale and use of illicit drugs, and the policies wavered between many types. The current war on drugs has evolved from a history of prohibition style legislation that was usually targeted towards a specific sector of illegal drug use. Initially, illicit drugs, such as cocaine, were held in high regards for the perceptions of their use as medicinal supplements and treatments (DuPont and Voth, 1995, p. 461). It was only in the early nineteenth century that the public perception began to change to see drug use as detrimental to the health of society, and began to push on the government to control it.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “And at every level, there is a war on drugs, a war for drugs, and a culture of terror, all created by prohibition.”(Hari 84) Before reading the book, Chasing the Scream, by Johann Hari, I did not know much about drug prohibition. What I did know was that drugs were bad and if you were caught with them illegally you would get put in jail. I grew up not really having drugs be a topic of conversation. Drugs and drug use were not really a part of my lifestyle. In school we learned about drugs but they never really taught us where to go or how to get help if we did have a problem.…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In his article, “Decriminalizing Drugs Would Not Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse,” William J. Bennett argues that the legalization of drugs would not prevent people from misusing or abusing a drug. He brings up the death of Whitney Houston, including other celebrities, and how “legalizing drugs and making them more readily available would not have saved her life.” He believes that legalization will actually accelerate the misuse and abuse of drugs. Bennett uses Portugal as an example of what would happen if we did decriminalized drugs and ultimately concludes that it would be a failure, just like in Portugal. Although Bennett makes a strong argument here, and I do agree with some of his points, there is still hope that education will go…

    • 309 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    In Jeffrey A. Miron’s Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition, he discusses the current battle with the regulation and legalization of drugs in the United States and provides an analysis of the problems associated with prohibition. One important aspect of this book, which makes it an excellent, read and economic analysis of prohibition is that he plays both sides of the coin, providing arguments for both prohibitionists and people in favor of the legalization. However, his main point is that prohibition, rather than drug use, causes the evils typically attributed to drugs. Miron offers a balanced, sophisticated and in-depth analysis of the true costs, benefits, and consequences of strictly enforcing drug prohibition.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Satire On Drugs

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Drug laws play a vital role in American society because drug use is an unfortunate part of the culture. Regardless of one’s views on whether some currently illegal drugs should be treated differently than others, the fact is that at this point all non-prescription drugs are illegal, and the government is responsible for responding to public outcry on this issue whether it be the legalization of recreational drugs like marijuana or the perceived injustices handed down to non-violent drug offenders. The serious nature of our country’s drug epidemic makes the topic of drug laws one that must be addressed by all branches of the US Government; the President is calling for legalization of recreational marijuana, congress is passing groundbreaking…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Portugal (Decriminalization of Drugs) In 2001, the small European country of Portugal decriminalized all drugs use. This allows any type of drug to be used by anyone that lives in Portugal. The government, in media reports, says that drug-related deaths, violent crimes, and HIV infections have dropped. Drug abusers in Portugal now receive intensive health treatment, rather than being charged as a criminal.…

    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Satire On Drugs

    • 1595 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In our Nation, today the topic of the use and abuse of illegal drugs appears to be widespread. The United States is somewhat of at a crossroads in regard to its drug policy. Drug use, as well as abuse is prominent amongst our citizens ranging in different ages and classifications of people from children to adults, to the rich and the poor. Drugs do not discriminate whatsoever.…

    • 1595 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Legalizing Drugs

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Foreign policies have gone from a model of prohibition to decriminalization. The European and Latin American focus has been on prevention, education, and treatment rather than zero-tolerance policy. Five years ago 25 political leaders from across the world came together to form The Global Commission on Drug Policy. The approach steers away from prohibition. It advocates for policies that put public health, community safety, and human rights and development at the center.…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Under no circumstances should drugs be legalized; drugs have negative consequences not only for individuals, but may also affect the entire families in numerous ways. For example, a parent or parents that abuses drugs is more likely to abuse and or neglected their children, these children often grow up and become substance abusers themselves. Authors like William Bennett are advocates for the legalization of drugs. Bennett who is the author of ‘’Should Drugs Be Legalized’’ meet with several prominent government personnel to discuss the war on drugs. It is Bennett’s view that these prominent government officials are in favor of the legalization of drugs.…

    • 1036 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In reviewing other countries drug policies, Portugal has found an answer to the drug epidemic. Previously, Portugal was spending millions and getting nowhere. In the 90’s drug problems increased significantly. “In 1991, 4,667 people were arrested for drug offenses.…

    • 1596 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    War On Drugs Failed

    • 2360 Words
    • 10 Pages

    (McVay, 2007) The federal government had no jurisdiction over illicit substances. These first laws were racist; they were to prevent perceived threats to white women by black, Mexican, and Chinese men drug users. From that point on the prohibition expanded; The Food and Drug act of 1906 required that all medications be labeled with the content, strength and the federal purity standards had to be met. Acts such as these, along with education efforts, allowed drug use to be reduced by a significant amount.(Otto, 1995)…

    • 2360 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Violence related to drugs, and incarceration on the rise in the United States, and this is well known. What is not well known, however, is alternatives to a war on drugs that work. The nation of Portugal has decriminalized all drugs. One can legally possess one gram of heroin, two grams of cocaine, twenty-five grams of marijuana leaves or five grams of hashish (that is, arabic marijuana), for example. Using the drugs in public areas is nothing more than a misdemeanor and a fine, similar to that of a parking ticket (This Policy is Working 1).…

    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Drug Trafficking Essay

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The European Cities Against Drugs (ECAD) organization is Europe’s leading institution sponsoring a “drug-free Europe.” The ECAD is working to establish initiatives against narcotic abuse, in support of the United…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays