Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times, and Places (RAND Studies in Policy Analysis)

Book Description

This meticulously researched study represents the first effort to provide a nonpartisan and objective analysis of how the United States should approach the drug legalization question. It surveys what is known about the effects of different drug policies in Western Europe and what happened when cocaine and heroin were legal in the US a century ago. The book shows that legalization involves different tradeoffs between health and crime and the interests of the inner city minority communities and the middle class. The book explains why it is so difficult to accomplish substantial reform of drug policy.

Customer Reviews:

Filled with data-rich insights.......2006-05-30

I'll admit that any book with the work heresies in the title has an automatic advantage in peaking my interest, but this volume does so much more than merely entice. MacCoun and Reuter have done an amazing job of looking that drug prohibition from a new point of view. Frankly, despite the passage of a few years, I believe that this book is absolute essential if one hopes to really understand the controversy over the War on Drugs.

Rather than attempt a summary of the contents, let me simply point to three specifics as representative of the wealth of insight the reader will encounter. First, MacCoun and Reuter have expanded the typical dichotomous legalization v criminalization perspectives to include depenalization and commercialization. Counter the arguments of drug prohibitionists, depenalization does not seem to be inextricably intertwined with massive increases in the prevalence of drug use as is anticipated with legalization. Also, legalization may have less negative increases in prevalence without the accompaniment of commercialization. By adding these two considerations, MacCoun and Reuter enable expansion of the debate into potentially fertile areas for improving the consequences of prohibition.

Secondly, the careful analysis of the 48 negative consequences of prohibition and the related causal linkage to enforcement, illegal status, and use should be the focus of careful reflection by every reader. In many respects, the damage caused by the War on Drugs is a kind of collateral damage - unintentionally caused by the implementation of US prohibition efforts.

Thirdly, MacCoun & Reuter reconceptualize the total harmfulness of illicit drugs as the interaction of three factors: prevalence, intensity, and micro harm (i.e., user self-damage). Much of the criticism of drug prohibition deals with the extensive micro harm without equal weight being given to the total harmfulness to our society. The negative correlation between prevalence and micro harm is among the more interesting possibilities to consider.

In summary, it is quite difficult to imagine a more sensitive evaluation of drug prohibition that so carefully considers the US case in light of the European context and the historical experience with legal addictive substances (alcohol and tobacco). I cannot recommend this book more highly.

Top quality analysis.......2004-09-12

The 'War on Drugs' in the United States grew from a million dollar acorn absentmindedly planted by President Nixon to a thriving 18 billion dollar oak three decades on.

The outcome of the 'war' is not satisfactory. The prevalence of illicit drug use is down but the substances are still readily available for people who really want to use them. The collateral damage is alarming, including one of the highest per capita rates for imprisonment in the world and regular reports of ghastly mistakes by law enforcement officers.

This book presents a massively researched and dispassionate cost/benefit analysis of the likely effects of various forms of legalisation for the major categories of illicit drugs. The subtitle of the book signals that the conceptual framework is enriched by a survey the international experience in the control of prostitution, gambling, alcohol and tobacco as well as the illicit drugs.

Drug War Heresies is a really excellent source for a wide range of literature and for the standard arguments that are likely to be bandied backwards and forwards for some time to come. It is clearly written and it provides a model of policy analysis in a deeply controversial field where the authors articulate a position of their own without apparently biasing the analysis.

The centrepiece of their analysis is the estimation of the Total Harm from a drug as the product of Prevalence (number of users) x Intensity (average number of doses) x Harmfulness (harm caused by each dose). This is a complex equation because the intensity is not uniform in the drug-using population and the harms arising from particular levels of drug use depend on the public health provisions and other policies (such as policing) that are in place.

The highly nuance stance that they adopt calls for modest law reforms that would result in increased prevalence (more users) in conjunction with other policies which would moderate both the intensity of use and the harms that result from drug use. The harms include the cost of crimes to support expensive habits, and other costs that result from policing zero-tolerance prohibition policies.

The analysis is far from complete, partly because the financial costs and benefits cannot be calculated accurately, also because the attractiveness and the political feasibility of the options depends on highly subjective (and widely divergent) appraisals that different people apply to drug use and its consequences.

The authors concluded that there is very little likelihood in the near future for reform, even for cannabis. All the problems in the analysis favour the status quo. So far only one major political figure, the Republican Governor of New Mexico, was prepared to put the ball of reform into play in the political arena and he was rebuffed by the Democratic majority in his legislature. This was a most unfortunate outcome from a scientific point of view because some of the imponderables that dog the cost/benefit analysis might have been illuminated in the light of experience in one state.

After the authors put down their pens both terrorism and Iraq became major issues, hence the prospects for change in drug policy are even more dismal, partly due to the diversion of attention to other areas and partly on account of the deterioration in the civility of public debate in general. This does not detract from the value of this excellent book, merely from the impact that it is likely to have in the short term.

A Careful and Honest Look at Alternative Drug Policy.......2003-09-05

"In Drug War Heresies, Robert J. MacCoun and Peter Reuter ask whether drug prohibition makes sense and whether legalization might achieve a better balancing of the costs and benefits associated with drugs and drug policy. They draw on a broad range of social science literature, and they emphasize the lessons provided both by drug prohibition in other places and by prohibitions of other goods, such as alcohol and prostitution. In discussing this evidence, they raise most of the key issues that should be considered in evaluating drug policy. Their book is an excellent starting point for anyone who wishes to understand the debates about prohibition versus legalization.

MacCoun and Reuter make a compelling case that many evils typically attributed to drugs result instead from drug prohibition and its enforcement. According to their analysis, prohibition causes increases in property crime because users face elevated prices; increases in violent crime because traffickers cannot resolve disputes using the courts; diminishments of civil liberties owing to the difficulty of detecting crimes without natural complainants; increases in corruption of police and politicians; disruption of countries that produce coca and opium; diminishments of users' health because of poor quality control; increases in the spread of HIV because of prohibition-induced restrictions on clean needles; excessive restrictions on medical uses of drugs; and reductions in respect for the law bred by widespread violation of prohibition-among other consequences.

And yet the authors do not endorse legalization. They find great fault with the heavy emphasis on criminal sanctions in current U.S. prohibition, and they believe substantial deescalation to, say, the level of enforcement in western Europe, Canada, or Australia would diminish many of the harms of prohibition while causing only small increases in drug use. Still, they do not endorse legalization. Why not?

Their position rests on four arguments: that moving from weak, European-style prohibition to legalization would produce a substantial increase in drug use; that this increase would be a bad thing; that most of the benefits from legalization are achieved simply by deescalating prohibition; and that the effects of legalization are uncertain."

"The authors' basic points move in the right direction. They have done a great service in carefully, honestly, and scientifically considering both theory and evidence on the effects of alternative drug policies. Room remains for reasonable persons to disagree about certain pieces of evidence, but if more persons were to analyze drug policy as dispassionately as MacCoun and Reuter, both drug policy and the country would be in far better shape."

An astonishing analysis of the dark side of public policy.......2003-07-03

This is one of the most comprehensive, objective or "bi-partisan," and current studies available to the general public. Although it is indeed an academic study and is written to influence policymakers, the educated public can easily follow most of the arguments posited by MacCoun and Reuter. Both thinkers have extensive experience in the area of drug policy, both are senior consultants with RAND (Drug Policy Research Center) and have published a considerable amount of literature on the nature of drugs and drug laws. This dynamic text attempts a comparative analysis of vices, such as gambling and prostitution, with that of recreational drug use, including alcohol and tobacco. The purpose of this study is to research whether or not there are any correlations between vices and, if so - can they assist in our understanding of how to regulate drugs and the desires of individuals for drugs. For example, of the kind of comparisons made, is that of prostitution and gambling. Both are legal in Las Vegas, NV - both are thought to be harmful vices, nevertheless, the law has provided a place for them in a legal context - can the same be done for drugs? The text also evaluates extensively, the European models of drug law enforcement and treatment and compares them to America's own models of law and treatment. The authors do not offer any solutions to the drug problem, but what they have done is contribute a comprehensive study with an extensive and diverse amount of data on the subject, something of which has not been achieved as thoroughly as it has been done in this study. The authors also analyze many of the drug reformer's arguments and parse them for consistencies and/or inconsistencies; in the conclusion, they offer a sympathetic gesture to the reformer's contentions because the authors admit to realizing the inanity and harm current drug laws are causing society, but they do so cautiously. They realize that something "must change," but what? and the future can only hold speculations. This book is highly recommended.

Another interesting companion study is the Consumer Reports study that was released in 1972. It is comprehensive and treats the many aspects of the "drug problem" in America. See:

Breacher, Edward M. et al., Licit and Illicit Drugs: the Consumers Union report on narcotics, stimulants, depressants, inhalants, hallucinogens, and marijuana - including caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. (Boston: Little Brown, 1972).

Drug War Heresies.......2002-01-27

Drug War Heresies may be the best book ever written about modern U.S. drug policy. Written by a psychologist and an economist, the authors draw on attempts to control other substances (such as alcohol prohibition in the U.S.) and exhaustively examine the alternative and experimental European drug policies that most American readers will find particularly useful. The authors are careful to not impose their values and beliefs into their work, instead focusing on the consequences of alternative drug policies. The result is a persuasive case for policy reform in America that is not doctrinaire. Required reading for all who are interested in illicit drug policy in America.

Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times, and Places.(Book Review): An article from: Independent Review

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Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times, and Places.(Book Review): An article from: Independent Review
Jeffrey A. Miron
Manufacturer: Independent Institute
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Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Independent Review, published by Independent Institute on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 1568 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times, and Places.(Book Review)
Author: Jeffrey A. Miron
Publication: Independent Review (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: Independent Institute
Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Page: 297(4)

Article Type: Book Review

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Robert J. MacCoun and Peter Reuter, Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times & Places.(Book Review) (book review): An article from: Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

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Robert J. MacCoun and Peter Reuter, Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times & Places.(Book Review) (book review): An article from: Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
Lorraine T. Midanik
Manufacturer: Western Michigan University, School of Social Work
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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This digital document is an article from Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, published by Western Michigan University, School of Social Work on June 1, 2003. The length of the article is 940 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Robert J. MacCoun and Peter Reuter, Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times & Places.(Book Review) (book review)
Author: Lorraine T. Midanik
Publication: Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2003
Publisher: Western Michigan University, School of Social Work
Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Page: 177(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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As the field of information technology continues to grow and impact the personnel and management of organizations, changes have occurred in the way that such people contribute and participate in effective business operations. Managing the Human Side of Information Technology: Challenges and Solutions addresses how to effectively manage the ways in which information technology impacts both human and organizational behavior.

Managing the Human Side fo Information Technology: Challenges and Solutions

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Managing the Human Side fo Information Technology: Challenges and Solutions

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From cotton to quail: An agricultural chronicle of Leon County, Florida, 1860-1967
Clifton Paisley
Manufacturer: University Presses of Florida
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From Cotton to Quail
Clifton Paisley
Manufacturer: university presses of Florida
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FROM COTTON TO QUAIL, An Agricultural Chronicle of Leon County, Florida 1860-1967
Clifton Pisley
Manufacturer: University of Florida Presses
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ASIN: B000VBPIVO

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From Cotton to Quail, an Agricultural Chronicle of Leon County, Florida 1860-1967
Clifton Paisley
Manufacturer: University of Florida Press
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ASIN: B000T2NAHO

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From Cotton to Quail: An Agricultural Chronicle of Leon County, Florida, 1860-1967

Manufacturer: Univ. Press of Florida
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This volume contains the proceedings of the Third Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves. The Amaldi Conference had been held twice before, in Frascati, Italy (1994), and at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland (1997), but took on a new significance after it was designated the cornerstone meeting for the recently formed Gravitational Wave International Committee (GWIC). How to detect gravitational waves is the subject of the Amaldi Conference. Their detection would open a new way of doing astrophysics, different from observing electromagnetic radiation or detecting neutrinos. The proceedings describe the status of both the newest interferometers (land-based and space-based) and bar antennae that will be built to detect gravitational waves. The latest lasers, optics, and suspensions are discussed, as well as advances in signal processing and data analysis.

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Hunting in North America: Big Game, Small Game, Upland Birds, Waterfowl, Wild Turkey (Complete Hunter (Creative Publishing International).)
Creative Publishing international
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A general hunting book aimed at the hunters in the U.S.

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One of my best buys

When the Plot Thickens, the writing improves

Chock Full of Information and Ideas

Noah Lukeman's second read

A Handly List of Prompts

The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life
Noah Lukeman
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How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling (How to Write a Damn Good Novel)

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As a literary agent, Noah Lukeman hears thousands of book pitches a year.Often the stories sound great in concept, but never live up to their potential on the page. Lukeman shows beginning and advanced writers how to implement the fundamentals of successful plot development, such as character building and heightened suspense and conflict. Writers will find it impossible to walk away from this invaluable guide---a veritable fiction-writing workshop---without boundless new ideas.

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One of my best buys.......2007-08-16

As a working writer and teacher of writing, I feel THE PLOT THICKENS: 8 WAYS TO BRING FICTION TO LIFE is one of the best buys I've ever made, and I've bought dozens and dozens of books on writing and related subjects. I've used this book extensively in teaching my classes and recommended it to all my students, most of whom have bought copies for themselves. Lukeman not only explains concepts and techniques in a way that's easy to understand, he presents fresh ideas --- something that's sometimes difficult to find. The sections on conflict and suspense alone are worth the price of the book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

When the Plot Thickens, the writing improves.......2007-07-18

Lukeman promises in the introduction that by the end of the book, readers (writers) will take away plenty of new ideas and inspiration. At first I was skeptical, but ultimately he's right. The topics he covers are themselves nothing new, for they are basic fundamentals, but the depth to which Lukeman plunges into area makes the book an excellent reference. The amount of questions he compels you to ask of your own work is astounding, which leads you to deepen and broaden your writing. If you are well into your own project, it would be wise to stop and explore your work through the exercises he offers at the end of each chapter. The chapters on Characterization are especially good. If you don't have much material written, don't worry... this knowledge can be used going forward, so that you are saved some revising time.

Chock Full of Information and Ideas.......2007-02-16

I first read Mr. Lukeman's book The First Five Pages, liked it so much, I purchased this one. Now I like it better than the first one. It was full of ideas and helped me think about my characters in a new light. Well Done and Highly Recommended for anybody wanting to delve deeper into characterizations and how to drive plot through getting to know your characters.

Noah Lukeman's second read.......2007-02-13

I ordered this because I was so pleased with his first book that set me free from writing "rules." I found it more difficult and I've not read it through yet after having it for at least a month. Frankly, at first perusal I was disappointed, but with a good study I may change my mind.

A Handly List of Prompts.......2007-01-15

I found this book useful for the fiction writer working on an extensive, detailed manuscript. The book is a lengthy set of prompts. It assumes the writer already understands something about structure and the writing process. The book assumes character is king and that plot emerges from character. If your technique is different from this, you may find the book irritating. If you need help fleshing out characterization to either augment or fundamentally build your story, this book is for you.

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Baltimore, 1812. Candace left finishing school and did the unthinkablewent to work in a newspaper office, and learned the job from the grunt and grunge-work level up. Soon she was caught up in the arguments about the War of 1812, the riots, the British invasion, and she was in love with Zachary, a young man who she believed to be on the wrong side of every issue. All this is played against a social background filled with actual people of the period; the social snobbery of the rich and those aspiring to be like the rich, and the needs and work ethic of the working man.

Candace, a Democratic-Republican in favor of the war with England, works at the Register. Zachary, a Federalist actively against the war, has taken a leave of absence from his elder brothers law firm in Annapolis to help the publisher of the Federal Republican. They develop a three-tiered relationship that is political, social and personal. At once intelligent and loving, the pair falls in love even as they hotly debate whether the war should have been fought.

WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILD provides an accurate picture of the production of a newspaper. And, in the re-creation of The Baltimore Riots of 1812 the author closely followed the details provided in newspapers, court affidavits filed by some of the victims, and other contemporary records.

Like Candace and Zachary, todays historians still debate the War of 1812. Under the terms of the peace treaty, neither side won much of anything. Most of the issues over which the country had gone to war faded out of their own accord. But, the war did achieve one thing: Britain could no longer view the United States as a collection of break-away colonies. At last she must recognize the United States as a truly independent nation. With that reality established, Britain and the United States were free to become friendly nations, and eventually, strong allies.

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kneavel@msn.com.......2000-06-07

I read the book mainly because of the historical setting of the novel. It takes place in Baltimore durning the War of 1812. Through the historical setting, valid points are made for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and loyalty. The novel does have a certain "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" quality to it in regards to the main character Candace. The ending scene of the book was very satisfying.

What So Proudly We Hail'd" - An Exhibition in the William L. Clements Library Marking the Sesquicentennial of the War of 1812

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What So Proudly We Hail'd" - An Exhibition in the William L. Clements Library Marking the Sesquicentennial of the War of 1812
Albert T. Klyberg
Manufacturer: U.S. Daughters of 1812 and the University of Michigan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M4ZI7E

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