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Washington Times (DC), 2005-08-16 (Tue.) Book Review: Against the Drug War by A.G. Gancarsk AN ANALYTIC ASSESSMENT OF U.S. DRUG POLICY
There has always been a certain resistance on
the right to the war on drugs. One of the most
persuasive texts on that front came in 1972, when
the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug
Abuse put forth a report entitled "Marihuana: A
Signal of Misunderstanding." This document
recommended decriminalization on the grounds that
marijuana and its users did not sufficiently
endanger the public safety to warrant criminal
penalties.
President Nixon had no apparent use for the
findings of his own commission's study as he ran
for re-election. But the report was not without
its executive influence. President Carter, early
in his term, referred to it when he argued that
"penalties against drug use should not be more
damaging to the individual than the use of the
drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in
the laws against possession of marijuana in
private for personal use."
Despite these strong words, Mr. Carter
accomplished precious little on the national
level in stemming overzealous enforcement of
marijuana prohibition. His successors took a
different tack than the one-term Democrat
recommended, increasing penalties on drug users
and helping the prison-industrial complex grow at
nearly-exponential rates to house those caught in
the web of illicit narcotics. But despite these
efforts, America's drug problem is legendary
around the world. With that in mind, as Congress
wrestles with the specter of twained budget and
trade deficits, it is fair to ask: Why does it
seem like the war on drugs is not simply a
failure, but the kind of failure that seems more
egregious with each passing year?
Many conservatives have wondered the same
thing, and have condemned the inefficacy of the
effort, especially regarding cannabis. But their
often emotional appeals have yet to resonate with
national policy leaders. In that context, the
utility of this slender volume becomes clear.
Using arguments rooted largely in cost-benefit
analysis, the authors neatly debunk the drug war
as it is currently fought. Decrying the lack of
"strong empirical evidence of substantial
effectiveness" of the effort, the scholars
suggest that the drug war's advocates be charged
with providing said evidence.
And that is not a suggestion to take lightly.
As the authors contend, the drug war has not
succeeded in stemming the availability of either
soft or hard drugs on the streets. There is
little correlation, Mr. Boyum and Mr. Reuter
claim, between even the toughest law enforcement
and the reduction of drug use. Domestic drug use
has yet to abate appreciably despite the
staunchest efforts of police. Meanwhile, efforts
by the United States to control the smuggling of
narcotics into the country from foreign lands
bear only modest returns. With enforcement
bearing diminishing returns on all fronts, the
authors, veteran observers of the drug war, argue
that resources should be shifted from enforcement
to a more "treatment-based" model.
It is striking how wide the gap is between
action and perceived intent in the drug war.
During President Clinton's tenure, for example,
the decrease in viable drug markets was greeted
with increased drug incarcerations. The authors
point such incongruities out at considerable
length, while making the case that initiatives
like the public-school DARE anti-drug education
program, "this is your brain on drugs" -- styled
television advertisements and empty promises
(like the vow made in the 1986 crime bill that
America would be drug-free by 1995) have
collapsed from their own unworkability. While
that point has been noted elsewhere, the authors
deserve kudos for showing, point by point, how,
where, and why the drug war has failed.
There are areas where the book could have been
improved. For example, the authors' understanding
of street drug use reads curiously dated,
overemphasizing the late 1990s club staple MDMA
(ecstasy) at the expense of drugs that boomed
more recently, like the rurally popular
methamphetamine. But it may be too much to expect
an up-to-the-moment understanding of the vagaries
of the street drug scene from a self-described
"analytic assessment of U.S. drug policy." For
the most part, Mr. Boyum and Mr. Reuter succeed
admirably here, taking a minority position on a
hot-button issue and arguing it rigorously,
honorably and unsentimentally, and recommending
useful and timely reforms. Politicians thinking
about running for president in 2008 would benefit
from reading this book and internalizing its
lessons.
A.G. Gancarski writes from Jacksonville, Fla.
Pubdate: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 © 2005 New World Communications, Inc. |
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