1. Drug Policy as a Harm Producer
By
Dr. Marcus Day D.Sc.
Director
Caribbean Drug & Alcohol Research Institute

2. • “Nothing poses greater threats to civil society
in CARICOM countries than the drug problem;
and nothing exemplifies the powerlessness of
regional governments more. That is the
magnitude of the danger of drug abuse and
drug trafficking hold for our community. It is a
many-layered danger. At base is the human
destruction implicit in drug addiction; but
implicit also is the corruption of individuals
and systems by the sheer enormity of the
inducements of the illegal drug trade in poor
countries. On top of this lie the implications for
governance itself – at the hands of both
external agencies engaged in international
interdiction, and the drug barons themselves –
the dons of the modern Caribbean – who
threaten governance from within”
• West India Commission 1992:143

3. Eroding the rule of law
• Nothing is more destructive of the respect
for the Government and the law of the
land than passing laws which cannot be
enforced. It is an open secret that the
dangerous increase of crime in this
country (USA) is closely connected with
this.
Albert Einstein
(speaking on US Alcohol Prohibition)

4. • The United National Office of Drugs and
Crime estimates that the Global Drug
Trade is worth
$320,000,000,000 USD
($320 Billion)
Annually

5. • Since 2006 The number of people killed
as a result of the Mexican drug war is
>60,000+
• Since 2003 the number of coalition
soldiers killed in the Iraq War
<5000

6. • Studies show that there is a
causal link between drug
enforcement spending and drug
related violence
• With no legal way to mediate
disputes, drug gangs compete for
market share through violence

7. Translation: Drug Prohibition is
among the key drivers of the
violence around the world

8. • Prison directors estimate that
between 60% – 70% of their
prison population are
incarcerated for drug or drug
motivated crimes.

9. • emphasis on law enforcement glamorise
drug use
• The USA has higher levels of cannabis
use than the Netherlands.
• Amsterdam has the lowest prevalence use
of cannabis then any European city
….where it is de-facto Legalised

10. • In 2001 Portugal decriminalised all drugs
and focused its anti-drug efforts on public
health and community safety.
• Since then:
• The number of people in drug treatment
has doubled
• HIV rates among users are down
• Teen drug use is down
• Cannabis rates are the among the lowest
in the EU

11. So what does this all mean?
Science shows that the war
on drugs does not work

12. What can we do?