21st Century Debates: The Drugs Trade

There is a complex web that links very different people across the world - the Afghan poppy farmer with the London heroin addict, the Bolivian coca grower with the New York cocaine user. The drugs trade now generates more income than the global tourist industry, yet only about 10 per cent of illegal drugs are ever intercepted by customs officials and police. Many governments talk about the need for "a war on drugs" but is this the most effective approach?

This book presents the facts about the production, distribution and use of illegal drugs, and explores possible solutions. How can the supply of these drugs, and the demand of them, be reduced? What part should be played by education and legislation? And what can be done to alleviate the poverty and hardship that so often lie behind drug trafficking and drug use?

The social and political issues strand of the '21st Century Debates' series looks at the enormous changes taking place in society at the start of the new millennium. In a world where political tensions are rising, and many traditional social structures are breaking down, this series examines the difficult decisions and awesome responsibilities faced by governments, organisations, communities and individuals concerned with the effects of such rapid change. Where are these new developments taking us? Are they leading to the kind of society in which we want to live?