Getting a grip on drug control | |
The control of drugs and drug users, reason or reaction? Ross Coomber, editor. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic; 1998 (265 pp., $43.00). ISBN: 90 5702 188 9. |
In the past decade, the concept of harm reduction has spread beyond the relatively narrow target of injecting drug users, and is now applicable to the management of all drug use. Ross Coomber has brought together a collection of essays on this important topic. The 13 contributors trace the history of drug controls, examine current practice, and explore present and future trends. While the focus is on Britain and the United States, Australians will recognise the issues. For those already involved in the field of illicit drugs, the first section probably repeats what is already known, but it is useful for those requiring an easily read history of drug policies. I particularly liked Karim Murji's discussion of the role of the media and drug professionals in shaping drug panics. Others in this section take a postmodern position and analyse the power plays which influenced the evolution of drug controls. The second section provides an analysis of current practice. Susanne MacGregor explains the so-called "British system" in terms of medical power blocs and diplomatic compromises. Bruce Bullington methodically deconstructs American policy, and systematically demonstrates that a "drug war" exists and has failed. In the third section, David Mansfield and Colin Sage present an informative and well-researched analysis of drug-crop-producing countries. They go beyond pointing out that illicit crops are simply moved to a new site, suggesting that the growing of illicit crops exists within broader social realities. These crops are often an economic safety net for impoverished farmers and have a guaranteed market and known value, while replacement crops are subject to unreliable market forces. Richard Hartnoll points out that drug-policy practice must be viewed in terms of three tiers: international agencies, national governments, and local practices. What is occurring at the international level does not always match a government's actual laws and services, and that often does not accord with what is happening at a local level of implementation. He makes the point that pressure for change towards various forms of harm reduction must start at the local level and move up the tiers. Coomber's book presents a careful analysis of contemporary theory and practice in the drug field. The book covers quite a broad area within the subject, and does it in short (around 20 pages), easy-to-read chapters. For those who want to understand the current debate, it is a good starter kit in harm reduction; for those who want greater breadth or depth in a familiar field, the book presents well-researched information. Carol de Launey
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