Drug Policy and the Public Good

Abstract

Drug Policy and the Public Good presents the accumulated scientific knowledge of direct relevance to the development of drug policy on local, national, and international levels. The book explores both illicit drug use and non-medical use of prescription medications within a public health perspective. A conceptual basis for a rational drug policy is presented, along with new epidemiological data on the global dimensions of drug misuse, significant trends in drug epidemics, and the global burden of disease attributable to drug misuse. The markets for both illicit and legally prescribed psychoactive substances are described, showing that these two sources of drug supply are becoming increasingly connected in many countries. The core of the book is a critical review of the cumulative scientific evidence in five general areas of drug policy: primary prevention programmes in schools and other settings; treatment interventions and harm reduction approaches; attempts to control the supply of illicit drugs, including drug interdiction and law enforcement; decriminalization and penal approaches; and control of the legal market through prescription drug regimes. The final chapters discuss the trend toward legalization of some psychoactive substances in different parts of the world and describe the need for a new approach to drug policy that is evidence-based, realistic, and coordinated. The evidence reviewed in this book suggests that an integrated and balanced approach to evidence-informed drug policy is more likely to benefit the public good than are uncoordinated efforts to reduce drug supply and demand.