Effects of Drug Law Enforcement on Drug-Related Violence

The Urban Health Research Initiative has released a “scientific review”:

The hypothesis was that the existing scientific evidence would demonstrate an association between drug law enforcement expenditures or intensity and reduced levels of violence…

Contrary to our primary hypothesis, 13 (87%) studies reported a likely adverse impact of drug law enforcement on levels of violence. That is, most studies found that increasing drug law enforcement intensity resulted in increased rates of drug market violence…

The available scientific evidence suggests that increasing law enforcement interventions to disrupt drug markets is unlikely to reduce drug gang violence. Instead, the existing evidence suggests that gun violence and high homicide rates are likely a natural consequence of drug prohibition and that increasingly sophisticated methods of disrupting Canadian gangs involved in drug distribution could unintentionally increase violence. From an evidence-based public policy perspective, gun violence and the enrichment of organized crime networks appear to be natural consequences of drug prohibition.

Given the Federal Conservatives’ push for greater enforcement and longer sentencing (Bill C-15) this research demonstrates how the Conservatives are determining policy accoring to a flawed indeological bias rather than by evidence-based consideration.

In light of evidence-based findings, the Transform Drug Policy Foundation in the U.K. has produced a comprehensive document exploring the possibilities of a regulated market non-prohibitionist approach as an alternative to the failed “war on drugs” policy which our federal government still embraces. Visit their website to obtain After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation

Download a copy of the Urban Health Research Initiative’s report on Drug Law Enforcement and Drug-Related Violence Download PDF

Putting Sting to the War on Drugs

On a positive note, former Police (front)man Sting has spoken out in support for Health-Based Drug Policies and an End to the Failed Drug War at the popular Huffington Post website. He says the drug war is “actively harming our society” and states he considers ending the war on drugs as a struggle for “social justice”. Sting will be demostrating his commitment by serving as a board member of the Drug Policy Alliance.