Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay
The illicit drugs trade, also referred to as the illegal drugs trade or drug trafficking in other terms is regarded as one of the largest global businesses, estimated at some $322 billion, according to a report released by the UN World Drug Report.Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay The business attracts a number of criminal organizations due to the potential profits associated with the business. A lot of effort goes into tackling some of the most dangerous illegal drugs, but there are some legal drugs whose effects are far much worse, hence the need to find ways of limiting their usage (Reuter and Stevens, 2007, p. 1). Many countries across the globe have undertaken drug policing measures in efforts aimed at reducing drug usage. Mazerolle, Soole and Rombouts (2007, p. 115) asserts that the UK illegal drugs market has for the longest time remained extremely attractive to organized criminals with prices charged at the street being some of the highest in Europe. For instance, the amount of heroine that is estimated to be illegally imported to the UK is between 18-23 tonnes a year. For this and many other reasons, the United Kingdom has initiated drug policing measures in efforts aimed at reducing drug usage. To some extent, some success has been realized. This article gives insight into the effectiveness of drug policing in the UK.
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Legal and illegal Drugs
As noted above, a lot of effort has been dedicated towards fighting illegal drugs but in the real sense, there are legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco that affect a lot of people worldwide. A report published by the UN World Drug report comparing illegal drug usage with tobacco did indicate that tobacco usage was far much higher (Newburn, 2012, p. 1). Alcohol and tobacco are considered as drugs by health experts even though they are legal and regulated at most times. Alcohol and tobacco are mind-altering or addictive and their usage has been witnessed through generations or the history of human civilization (Hunt and Stevens, 2004, p. 333). As it seems, people like to consume mind-altering substances despite the fact that they come with serious health complications. However, today, there is a criminal element that all drugs attract.
Should illegal drugs be decriminalized?
A common approach and one taken by the United Kingdom is that drugs should be made illegal and there should be systems in place to clamp down on the illegal drugs trade.Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay In many countries outside the United Kingdom, this has led to extra law enforcement costs coupled with overflowing prisons (Dorn, 2004, p. 535). According to Maguire and John (2006, p. 69), some people have gone ahead and argued whether illegal drugs should be decriminalized. This question has received a host of answers with a host of scholars in the British Medical Journal arguing that drugs are dangerous and illegal. To them, legalizing drugs risks increasing their availability. In the same context, a host of scholars believe that drugs should be decriminalized as they drive crime (Hunt and Stevens, 2004, p. 336). In the UK drug policing has been effective in some degrees worth noting.
Effectiveness of drug policing in the UK
Across the United Kingdom, drug policing initiatives have been developed which are aligned with key elements of Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain.Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay According to Mazerolle, Soole and Rombouts (2007, p. 115), drug policing in the UK is turning out to be effective. For instance, in the last ten years, overall drug use in the United Kingdom has significantly declined. In England and Wales, for instance, there are more than 127,000 police officers stationed in several locations such as borders and streets with a purpose of ensuring that drug trafficking is reduced if not completely eradicated. The same applies to Scotland where drug policing initiatives have been initiated with the country hiring more than 28, 168 police officers aimed at ensuring that the war on drugs is won (Reuter and Stevens, 2007, p. 3).
Such actions do not stop there. Drug policing in the United Kingdom has gone an extra step and ensured that they disrupt all the routes or avenues of most dangerous drug traffickers across the globe. Moreover, drug policing in the UK seem to be effective as it has been reported that the police tasked with fighting illegal usage of drugs have made progress in terms of direct interdiction of illicit drugs, especially from their source of supply to where they enter into the United Kingdom (Raco, 2003, p. 1870).
Drug policing in the UK lately seems to be working as opposed to the past where it was deemed a failure. Today, drug policing in the UK has gone ahead and ensured that they control the precursor or the source of chemicals that could be essential towards the manufacture of illegal drugs. This is done by conducting constant raids to areas suspected to be producing chemicals that could be used to manufacture illegal drugs (Mazerolle, Soole and Rombouts, 2007, p. 120). By so doing, the reduction of production at source is achieved by the police hence reducing the use of illegal drugs in nearly all places across the UK.Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay Moreover, the police in the United Kingdom have been given special powers to investigate and subsequently prosecute individuals suspected and found guilty of drug trafficking and instances of money laundering (Hunt and Stevens, 2004, p. 340). It is for these reasons that the fight against drugs in the United Kingdom seem to be realizing success with reports indicating that their usage is lately on the decrease.
Dorn (2004, p. 540) argues that drug policing in the United Kingdom continues to be a success as all the countries in the United Kingdom consisting of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all signed extradition charges of ensuring that criminals in all these countries can be arrested and extradited to their home countries. For instance, in 2013, the police in Ireland arrested Philip Baron who was the head of an international cartel responsible for smuggling cocaine from South America to Spain and finally to Britain. Baron, under drug policing laws, was able to be extradited from where he was captured in Ireland and jailed in Britain (Maguire and John, 2006, p. 70). This is an apt example of the effectiveness of drug policing in the United Kingdom. Law enforcement or drug policing in liaison with foreign counterparts seem to be effective in winning the war against drugs in the United Kingdom.Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay
It cannot go without mentioning that drug policing in the United Kingdom seems to be effective with all the four countries working closely to ensure that they create a Commission on Narcotic Drugs whose responsibility is monitoring and implementation of the Convention on drugs passed by the United Nations. They meet annually to discuss progress made and challenges encountered in the war against drugs. Furthermore, well experienced police officers have voiced their opinion arguing that drug policing can be successful if illegal drugs can be monitored instead of decriminalizing them which risks increasing their appeal. Such seems to be working as drug policing in the UK are lately monitoring the usage of drugs (Hunt and Stevens, 2004, p. 340).
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Conclusion
Nearly all countries in the globe have been affected by the problem of drugs. Even though majority of efforts are geared towards fighting illegal drugs, legal drugs are permeating the society and causing too much harm.Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay Drug policing is therefore necessary. A lot of countries, led by the United Kingdom have initiated such efforts. Even though challenges were met earlier, drug policing in the United Kingdom is beginning to realize enormous success. The police are conducting raids, disrupting drug trafficking routes, working with informants and prosecuting guilty individuals found to be engaging in illegal drug trade. Overall, the process is a success or effective.
Bibliography
Dorn, N., 2004. UK policing of drug traffickers and users: policy implementation in the contexts of national law, European traditions, international drug conventions, and security after 2001. Journal of Drug Issues, 34(3), pp.533-550.
Hunt, N. and Stevens, A., 2004. Whose harm? Harm reduction and the shift to coercion in UK drug policy. Social Policy and Society, 3(04), pp.333-342.
Maguire, M. and John, T., 2006. Intelligence led policing, managerialism and community engagement: Competing priorities and the role of the National Intelligence Model in the UK. Policing & society, 16(1), pp.67-85.
Mazerolle, L., Soole, D. and Rombouts, S., 2007. Drug Law Enforcement A Review of the Evaluation Literature. Police quarterly, 10(2), pp.115-153.
Newburn, T. ed., 2012. Handbook of policing. Routledge.
Raco, M., 2003. Remaking place and securitising space: urban regeneration and the strategies, tactics and practices of policing in the UK. Urban Studies, 40(9), pp.1869-1887.
Reuter, P. and Stevens, A., 2007. An analysis of UK drug policy. London, UK Drug Policy Commission. Legal and Illegal Drugs Essay
