Drugs and Legal System

Question 1

War on Drugs Rings

Answer 1

1. Supply reduction
2. interdiction: at boarder
3. Streets
4. Correctional System
5. Demand reduction

Question 2

Supply Reduction

Answer 2

• Plant erradication
• Control precursor chemicals:
  
  • Meth pseudophredrine
• US certification: every year US certifies countries that comply with their counterdrug efforts

Question 3

Interdiction

Answer 3

• At the border (Usually US Mexico)
• DEA: drug law enforcement
  
  • Investigates major narcotic violations
• US Customs
  
  • Can search person, vehicle or container without probable cause
  • homeland security
• Coast guard
• Military
  
  • Can’t search and arrest drug traffickers (can’t execute the law)
  • Provide training for anti-drug operations in foreign countries
    
    • Training could potentially be used by drug trafickers

Question 4

Street Level

Answer 4

• Responsibility of
  
  • Federal Agencies
  • Police
• Operations
  
  • Controlled buy: using an informant who may get paid or reduction of criminal charges
  • Reverse sting: undercover agent poses as drug dealer asset forfeiture
  • Knock and Talk
    
    • Agents go into the house without a search warrant
    • 75% of dealers waive right to privacy

Question 5

Asset Forfeiture

Answer 5

• Government takes any property they believe to have been sourced from drug money
• Problem: most are not accompanied by arrest
• Advantage
  
  • Finances drug war
  • Discourages behavior

Question 6

Correctional System (mandatory Minimum)

Answer 6

• Mandatory Minimum sentencing based on
  
  • Drug
  • Weight
  • number of prior convictions
  • Advantage
    
    • Easy for judges
    • Lower level dealers will testify against higher level
  • Disadvantage
    
    • Overcrowded prisons
    • Doesn’t treat addiction
• Minimums being reduced in different states

Question 7

Drug Courts

Answer 7

• Non violent offenders with substance abuse problems > drug treatment program for 1 year
  
  • If they finish program charges dropped or reduced
  • If they don’t > normal court system
• Saves money in the judiciary system
• actually treats addiction
• 3,000 drug courts in US

Question 8

Demand reduction

Answer 8

• It can work
  
  • China > opioids
  • Japan > amphetamines
  • US > alcohol
• Consumption is based on availability
• Availability based on legal status

Question 9

British system

Answer 9

• Legalized drugs and made it a health care problem
• Improved health of addicts
• Rehabilitating addicts in social and economic sense by treating them as patients not criminals

Question 10

Coffee shops in holland

Answer 10

• No advertising
• No one under 16
• Only if you are dutch
  
  • Loss of revenue from tourism
  • People find drugs elsewhere
• No hard drugs in or near stores

Question 12

Portugal

Answer 12

• Decriminalized
  
  • Drug users face legal health and social committee
  • Punished by social services or fines
• Health/social-oriented approach
  
  • Prevention
  • Treatment
  • Harm reduction
  • Social reintegration programs

Question 13

DARA

Answer 13

• Educates kids about drugs
• Doesn’t
  
  • Use scare tactics
  • Ask people to turn others in
• Effective
  
  • Parents think it works
    *

Question 14

Failed approaches

Answer 14

• Reducing avialability
  
  • Increasing drinking age: reduce car accidents but not drinking
  • can’t control production in other countries
• Punishment
• Scare tactics
  
  • Adults lose credibility
  • Not accurate
• Objective information
  
  • Increase curiosity of kids

Question 15

CASASTART

Answer 15

• Community based
• children between 8-13 with risk factors
  
  • Social support
• Goal:
  
  • build resilience in community, child and family
• Effective