The US State Department's Narcotics Control Policy in the Americas

Bibliographic Data

ID4960402
AuthorsJames M Van Wert (corresponding author)
Year1988
Volume30
Issue2-3
Pages1-18
Publication date1988-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-1937 • E-ISSN: 2162-2736
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/165977
OpenAlexW2783870630
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited2

Governments, Like People, Function in ways that enhance their perceived self-interest. Effective narcotics control is in the best interest of the United States for at least three reasons.First, reducing the available supply of illicit narcotics (potentially) can reduce the incidence and prevalence of abuse by US citizens. For example, by making drugs relatively hard to find and expensive to use, supply-reduction efforts might successfully discourage potential users from experimenting with drugs and risking future chronic, intensive involvement. Moreover, it can be argued that control measures may be an important deterrent in motivating current drug users to seek treatment and find gainful employment (Moore, 1988).Second, reducing the supply of illicit narcotics may reduce the level of organized crime and lawlessness in the United States. An effective supply reduction program presumably can bring success in stopping trafficking organizations from supplying illegal goods and services; seizing their ill-gotten wealth; punishing their acts; prosecuting them for corrupt practices; and weakening or eliminating these groups as threatening criminal enterprises

Business · Control (management) · Economics · Function (biology) · Lawlessness · Management · Political science · Public economics · State (computer science) · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Law

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