Drug Wars

YR 9 GLOBAL ISSUES:UNIT: CONFLICT & PEACE

The United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime is the best source of information on the global narcotics industry

Source: World Drug Report 2012. p1

What illicit drug are the most popular / least popuar?

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL DRUG TRADE EVIDENCE FROM THE

MID 2000s.• What was

estimated value of the global narcotics trade in 2005?

• How does this compare to human trafficking?

• How does this compare to the illicit firearms trade?

Source:WorldDrugReport 2007

Source: World Drug Report 2012, p17

The Human Cost of the Drug WarsDrug Related Deaths

DRUG USE IN THE UNITED STATES

Source:World DrugReport2012p28

The Source of Cocaine: Cultivation of Coca Bush:

In a paragraph response outline the trends in Coca bush production from 2001 to 2010, in the 3 countries listed.

Source: World Drug Report 2012 p35

What does this graph say about drug controls efforts?

Economic Models for Drug Markets. Source: World Drug Report 2012 p68

The Costs of Crime The basis for measuring the cost of crime is

the opportunity cost principle.The net economic cost of crime to society is

the difference between what GDP would be if there was neither criminal nor crime prevention activities and what GDP currently is, given present criminal and crime prevention activities.

(Source: Economics of Social Issues, 2006: 119)

The costs of CrimeTo estimate the cost of violent crime, it is

possible to start with the loss of earnings (or value of production services rendered) of the victims and those close to the victims.

Crimes against property are obviously the values of the property damaged or destroyed.

Additional costs of the whole range of criminal activities consist of the cost of prevention, apprehension and correction, since resources used for these purposes could have been used to produce alternative goods and services valuable to consumers.

The Cost of Crime Many items thought to be costs are really

transfers of purchasing power to the perpetrators of crimes from their victims.

Reprehensible as theft may be, it is difficult to conclude that it represents a large net economic cost to society.

Impact of Crime on GDP Criminal activities in their aggregate lower

GDP below what it would be without themCrime prevention activities should, if

effective, raise GDP above the level that would be in their absence.

Crime Prevention activities can be considered an economic good or service since GDP is higher them that it would be without them.

What do you think is happening in this photo?

In December 2001, Cocaine farmers throw cocaine leaves as a sign of protest in Chimore Bolivia. The purpose was to show that cocaine cultivation still exists on a day the Bolivian government was holding a ceremony to claim victory in its campaign to rid the nation of drug-growing plantations.

Major Assessment Item:

Essay:Arguments for & against the decriminalization of drugs.

Source: http://www.madcowprod.com/COKELUGGAGE_SIMPLE.jpg Date Accessed: 16th Feb 2009