Overview

There is general agreement about the need to criminalise the production, sale and possession of certain drugs, yet the costly international apparatus around this is failing. But why do we criminalise some substances and not others? Is the purpose misguided, or the methods, or both? Julia Buxton looks at how our current drug control regime came about from the first US-driven international meeting on drug control in 1909 that became a war with the inbuilt moral self-righteousness of the colonial era. She also charts the evolution of the contemporary drugs market, looking at where drugs are now produced and consumed, and by whom, giving voice to those who get caught up in this world as consumers and low-level producers and sellers. Ultimately she asks, if the current strategy is patently failing, how could it be done better?

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9781529241440

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Reviews

“An interesting, engaging and accessible book on a topic of huge yet underexamined personal and societal importance.” David Nutt, Imperial College London “Professor Buxton takes us on a very genuine and reflective journey of the developments and contradictions of drug policy, navigating the politics and morals of drugs in policy making and its devastating impact on individuals and families. An essential read!” Karen A. Joe Laidler, University of Hong Kong “In no health domain is the gap between what policies are and what the evidence says they should be as huge as in drug policies. Julia Buxton is one of the most respected scientists to discuss this.” Michel Kazatchkine, Special Advisor to the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe ""A must-read for anyone interested in understanding the irrational & racist origins of drug prohibition. Importantly, Buxton outlines the urgent solutions needed to address the catastrophic harms the system has created. "" Niamh Eastwood, Release “An urgent rallying cry laying bare the global hypocrisies underlying the local harms of existing drug policies. Buxton equips activists with persuasive weapons to counter punitive models and promote health- and rights-based alternatives.” Maria-Goretti Ane, consultant in drug policy, harm reduction and human rights “A fantastically readable work on the failure, contradictions and societal devastation caused by current and past global drug policies.” Jo Neill, University of Manchester ""What is Drug Policy For?’ is a question that needs to be asked and there are few commentators who could answer with the depth of insight that Julia Buxton brings to this book."" Nigel South, University of Essex “A thoroughly researched, historically anchored and hugely readable tome of a work that unpacks the politically vested interests, wiry machinations and puppetry behind global drug policy, which has caused untold damage to people who use drugs around the world. Importantly it offers a way out, the shifting of gears necessary to step us off the destructive carousel that is the war on drugs.” Judy Chang, Advancing Global Drug Policy Reform and former executive director of International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD)

“A fantastically readable work on the failure, contradictions and societal devastation caused by current and past global drug policies.” Jo Neill, University of Manchester

Author Information

Julia Buxton is Professor of Justice at John Moores University in Liverpool and British Academy Global Professor. Her research, teaching and supervision focus on illicit drug markets and the impact of counter narcotics policies on development, gender equality and security. She has experience of applied and practice focused research in policy design and evaluation, including conflict, rights based and gender sensitive processes. She has geographical expertise on Latin America and is a specialist on Venezuela. Julia was previously Professor of Comparative Politics, Associate Dean and Acting Dean at the School of Public Policy, Central European University in Budapest where she managed awards from Open Society Foundations Global Drug Policy Programme on drug policy analysis, drug policy enforcement, and an annual drug policy reform summer school. She previously held positions in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, Georgetown University and Kingston University.

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