Illicit drugs: a huge global market

The illicit drugs trade (also referred to as the illegal drugs trade or drug
trafficking) is one of the largest global businesses, at some $322 billion,
according to the UN World
Drug Report, 2007.
It attracts criminal organizations because the potential profits are
significantly more than from other criminal commodities:


As the 2007 report notes (p.170), the high value is understandable because
“unlike human beings, diamonds or firearms, the drug supply is consumed each
year and in need of continuous renewal.”
It is also a global issue because

profits [from illicit drugs] accrue to a wide range of actors, from poor
rural farmers to affluent urban dealers. But, in many instances, the single most
profitable sector of the market is the process of transporting the drugs
internationally. The funds raised by trafficking groups can be used to
underwrite other criminal activity and even political insurgency.

— World Drug
Report 2007, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(p.170)

The main illicit drugs are the opiates (mostly heroin), cocaine, cannabis,
and ATS (amphetamine-type stimulants) such as amphetamines, methamphetamine and
ecstasy.
The UN estimates that some 200 million people (4.8% of the world’s population
aged 15-64) use illegal drugs annually with 25 million being classed as problem
users (0.6%). (See p.9 of the report.)

Legal and Illegal Drugs

A lot of effort goes into tackling illegal drugs, but there are some legal
drugs that affect far more people worldwide than illegal drugs: tobacco and
alcohol.
The 2007 UN World Drug Report (p.30) compares usage of illegal drugs with
tobacco and finds tobacco usage to be far higher:


(Tobacco and alcohol are considered drugs by health professionals even though
these ones are legal and usually regulated in some way. They are all
mind-altering/addictive. In that context, drug use of some sort, such as alcohol
and marijuana, has been common throughout the history of human
civilization.)
It seems that people like to consume mind-altering substances even though
there may be serious health implications associated with many of these drugs.
But today, there is also the criminal element that drugs attract.

Tackling the problem: criminalize or decriminalize?

A common approach (and one taken by countries such as the United States and
international organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime) is that drugs should be made illegal and there should be strong emphasis
on clamping down on the illegal drugs trade. In many countries, this has led to
extra law-enforcement costs and overflowing prisons. (The drugs problem is seen
as a criminal issue.)
The Netherlands, however, has taken a different approach and partly
decriminalized certain “soft” drugs in small proportions. (The drugs problem is
seen primarily as a health issue.) This has had a knock-on effect of “drug
tourism” where some tourists go there to get substances.

Supply and demand

The approach Califano advocates is to help people understand what they are
doing (i.e. tackle the demand side). This seems important because the increased
recreational use we see—often in the wealthiest countries—may point to deeper
social/personal problems and issues.
(Just recently, the UN accused celebrities of often being involved in illicit
drug trafficking or illegal drug use and that it is often glamorized. They fear
that this may send out the wrong message to young people, too. In addition, they
accused some countries off letting celebrities
drug-takers off too lightly when caught.)
The approach Chand advocates seems to imply addressing the supply side by
taking away control from criminals, and managing the demand side by trying to
provide a safer environment, at least as a starting point to address immediate
issues.
The UN’s approach of being tough against illegal drugs could be having some
effects. The above-mentioned UN World Drug Report 2007 begins its overview
stating that the global drugs problem is being contained:

The global drug problem is being contained. The production and consumption of
cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy have stabilized at the global
level—with one exception. The exception is the continuing expansion of opium
production in Afghanistan. This expansion continues to pose a threat—to the
security of the country and to the global containment of opiates abuse. Even in
Afghanistan, however, the large scale production of opium is concentrated and
expanding in a few southern provinces where the authority of the central
government is currently limited and insurgents continue to exploit the profits
of the opium trade.
On the whole, most indications point to a leveling of growth in all of the
main illegal drug markets. This is good news and may indicate an important
juncture in long term drug control. A stable and contained problem is easier to
address than one which is expanding chaotically, provided it is seen as an
opportunity for renewed commitment rather than an excuse to decrease
vigilance.

— World Drug
Report 2007, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(p.25)

However, while the report shows the number of seizures of illegal drugs
increasing more than two-fold between 1985 and 2005, the use has not gone down
in proportion; it has “stabilized”. It may be that containment is working, but
may be it is not effective as other measures?
Furthermore, it seems the costs are very high for this approach too. The US’s
“war on drugs” is in the order of billions. And then there are the associated
effects of increased crime and health problems because the market is largely
controlled by criminals.
This last point was explained quite well by Tom Lloyd, former chief inspector
of Cambridgshire Police in the UK. In a radio interview on BBC’s Radio 5
Live (March 5, 2008), Lloyd raised some important issues:

• He felt over a longer period of 30 to 40 years, the international policy was
  a failed policy because of the increase in illegal drugs, the increase in
  associated crime, and the increasing health problems by substance users.


• He added that while many human beings seem to like taking mind-altering
  drugs, international policies have ensured the mind altering drugs are
  supplied by criminals who have no regard to the health of the users, or the
  crime that results.


• Banning drugs has failed, in his opinion. However, instead of some
  “free-for-all”, regulating drugs would take the market away from the
  criminals, dramatically reducing the harms caused by prohibition
  (because prohibition leads to lots of death from the increased crime and health
  issues that results from criminals controlling the market).

Lloyd’s approach is to initially get control over the issue through this
regulation of it so that “at least we stand a chance” of doing something about
drug use that can help reduce the harm. If someone is addicted to drugs, it is
far worse if the supplier is a criminal because the substance could have
impurities, causing further health problems, he argues.
There are also some medicinal uses of some drugs. When these are made
illegal, research or provision of these is restricted.
Complicating this further, are the two major legal drugs that kill far more
people than illegal drugs: tobacco and alcohol. Although these are legal and
regulated, they continue to put enormous strains on social systems such as
police and health services. In the United Kingdom, an excess drinking culture is
affecting many young people and is a constant theme on mainstream news.
It would seem that tackling both supply (i.e. the criminal aspects) as well
as demand (the social conditions that create the demand) both need addressing
but by no means are the policy choices clear cut.
(For further view points and arguments, see for example this Wikipedia
article. (But note the warning at the start of the article!)

Other issues

This page is quite short, for a topic that is very large.
Issues such as geopolitics (e.g. using drugs to fund political agendas, such
as in Colombia, or fund terrorism as in Afghanistan) are major problems. Due to
time constraints these, and other aspects, have not been discussed further
here—yet. That does not diminish these issues of course, and over time, more
will be added.