Drug control policies : the cases of Colombia and the United States.

The consumption, production and trafficking of illicit drugs is one of the major problems facing nearly all societies today. Unfortunately, illicit drugs have the ability to disintegrate persons, families and, in some extreme cases, entire societies. The globalization of the industry of drugs has transformed the illicit drug business from a geographically focused issue to one of the most important global matters. Although drug control policies are abundant throughout the globe, the rates of drug production and consumption do not seem to be affected. This dissertation analyzes the main international drug control policies of two major illicit drug producer/consumer countries representing opposite market perspectives: Colombia embodies the supply side of the drug market, and the United States characterizes the demand side for the particular case of cocaine. Based on relevant behavioral economic theory, social support and strain criminal justice theories, among others, and keeping in mind the guidelines provided by the United Nations, the document describes and critiques current policies. The methodology consists of process evaluations of particularly important strategies against drug production in Colombia (The Alternative Development Strategy (AD)) and drug consumption in the US (The Stopping Initiation Campaign-Prevention (SI)), utilizing data and results from previous existent evaluations. Through policy evaluation and analysis, which utilizes mainly document analysis plus some descriptive quantitative analysis, this document studies if there are major implementation failures in the delivery of the services of the selected drug control strategies? The general findings show that although drug control policies in Colombia and the United States are consistent with the United Nation‘s guidelines, they are not always theoretically grounded. Particular findings, based on the limited information accessible to the author, suggest that although the Alternative Development strategy and the Stopping Initiation Campaign policies appear to be focused on the appropriate target population and seem to be providing appropriate services, there are some recognizable implementation failures that limit the effectiveness of these drug control strategies. In addition, the scarcity of publicly available good quality theoretical and empirical reports and evaluation, regarding the conceptualization and processes through which the AD and SI programs are implemented, complicate any assessment of how these drug control policies work. Policy implications call for greater clarity and more cohesiveness in the structure of the programs within the countries. Additionally, better accountability of these programs is required. There is also an urgent need to emphasize the crucial importance of the implementation of theoretically sound policies in order to achieve the intended goals. Lastly, Colombia and the United States need to design complementary strategies that recognize that market forces – demand and supply - work together and therefore need to be addressed simultaneously. With so much money invested, so much at stake, and given the worldwide epidemic of illicit drug use, it is an imperative necessity to design and implement efficient and comprehensive drug control programs

Homicide Cycles in Colombia

We estimate a model to account for homicide cycles in Colombia, 1950-1999. The variables that together account for about eighty percent of the variation in murder cycles are the years of Colombia(s La Violencia period, the years of collusion between the two establishment parties (the National Front years), the inflation-adjusted trade balance and real social expenditure, both in per capita terms, and the size of Colombia(s military forces as a proxy for all armed forces (military, para-military, guerrilla, and drug-related) in the country.Latin America, Colombia, homicide cycles

ANTI-DRUG POLICIES: ON THE WRONG PATH TO PEACE

The objective of this research is to analyze why drug prohibition policy is the observed outcome on the international political arena and its effects on the Colombian conflict. A gravity model based on Akerlof (1997) is implemented to examine the international drug policy equilibrium of a game that shows how drug prohibition is a stable suboptimal policy. Finally, this work suggests how applying a less restrictive regulatory framework to the drug market can lead to a reduction on the rents obtained by illegal groups from the drug business and, therefore, to a reduction on the intensity of the Colombian conflict.Drugs rents, Gravity model, Colombia, Conflict resolution

The development impact of the illegality of drug trade

This paper reviews the unintended consequences of the war on drugs, particularly for developing countries, and weighs them against the evidence regarding the efficacy of prohibition to curb drug use and trade. It reviews the available evidence and presents new results that indicate that prohibition has limited effects on drug prevalence and prices, most likely indicating a combination of inelastic drug demand (due to its addictive properties) and elastic supply responses (due to black markets). This should turn the focus to the unintended consequences of drug prohibition. First, the large demand for drugs, particularly in developed countries, generates the possibility of massive profits to potential drug providers. This leads to the formation of organized crime groups, which use violence and corruption as their means of survival and expansion and which, in severe cases, challenge the state and seriously compromise public stability and safety. Second, prohibition and its derived illegal market impose greater costs on farmers than on drug traffickers. In many instances, this entails the transfer of wealth from poor peasants to rich (and ruthless) traders. Third, criminalization can exacerbate the net health effects of drug use. These consequences are so pernicious that they call for a fundamental review of drug policy around the world.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Crime and Society,Economic Theory&Research,Post Conflict Reconstruction,Markets and Market Access

Cocaine Production and Trafficking: What do we know?

The main purpose of this chapter is to summarize the information currently available on cocaine production and trafficking. The chapter starts by describing the available data on cocaine production and trade, the collection methodologies, (if available) used by different sources, the main biases in the data, and the accuracy of different data sources. Next, the chapter states some of the key empirical questions and hypotheses regarding cocaine production and trade and takes a first look at how well the data matches these hypotheses. Also, the chapter states some of the main puzzles in the cocaine market and studies some of the possible explanations. These puzzles and empirical questions should guide future research into our understanding of the key determinants of illicit drug production and trafficking. Finally, the chapter studies the different policies that producer countries have adopted to fight against cocaine production and the role consumer countries play in the implementation of anti-drug policies.Cocaine; Narcotraffic; War on Drugs. Classification JEL: K42; C81; H56.

Cocaine production and trafficking : what do we know ?

The main purpose of this paper is to summarize the information currently available on cocaine production and trafficking. The paper starts by describing the available data on cocaine production and trade, the collection methodologies (if available) used by different sources, the main biases in the data, and the accuracy of different data sources. Next, it states some of the key empirical questions and hypotheses regarding cocaine production and trade and takes a first look at how well the data match these hypotheses. The paper states some of the main puzzles in the cocaine market and studies some of the possible explanations. These puzzles and empirical questions should guide future research on the key determinants of illicit drug production and trafficking. Finally, the paper studies the different policies that producer countries have adopted to fight against cocaine production and the role consumer countries play in the implementation of anti-drug policies.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Crime and Society,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Economic Theory&Research

The Drug Problem and Organized Crime, Illicit Financial Flows, Corruption and Terrorism

An estimated quarter of a billion people, or around 5 per cent of the global adult population, used drugs at least once in 2015. Even more worrisome is the fact that about 29.5 million of those drug users, or 0.6 per cent of the global adult population, suffer from drug use disorders. This means that their drug use is harmful to the point that they may experience drug dependence and require treatment.The magnitude of the harm caused by drug use is underlined by the estimated 28 million years of "healthy" life (disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)) lost worldwide in 2015 as a result of premature death and disability caused by drug use.Of those years lost, 17 million were attributable solely to drug use disorders across all drug types. DALYs attributable to morbidity and mortality resulting from all causes of drug use have increased overall in the past decade.Yet, with fewer than one in six persons with drug use disorders provided with treatment each year, the availability of and access to science-based services for the treatment of drug use disorders and related conditions remain limited

Can production and trafficking of illicit drugs be reduced or merely shifted ?

The production of cocaine and heroin, the two most important drugs economically, has been concentrated in a small number of poor nations for 25 years. A slightly larger number of developing nations have been affected by large-scale trafficking in these two drugs. This paper reviews what is known about drug control programs and considers non-traditional options. The usual array of programs for suppressing drug problems, enforcement, treatment, harm reduction and prevention have been assessed almost exclusively in wealthy nations. Although treatment has been shown to be cost-effective, it is of minimal relevance for reducing the drug problems of nations such as Afghanistan, Colombia, Mexico or Tajikistan, which are primarily harmed by production and trafficking rather than consumption. Efforts to reduce drug production and trafficking have not been subject to systematic evaluation but the best interpretation of the available evidence is that they have had minimal effect on the quantities produced or trafficked. It is reasonable to conclude that international drug control efforts can do more to affect where these drugs are produced rather than the quantity. If that is the case, and given that spreading a specific level of production or trafficking to more rather than fewer nations probably decreases global welfare, it may be appropriate to consider a less aggressive stance to current producers and to make strategic decisions about the location of an industry producing a global bad.Crime and Society,Economic Theory&Research,Markets and Market Access,Alcohol and Substance Abuse,Post Conflict Reconstruction