- Hardcover: 234 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press (13 July 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0199764514
- ISBN-13: 978-0199764518
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.2 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- See Complete Table of Contents
Drugs and Drug Policy : What Everyone Needs to Know
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Review
"Drugs and Drug Policy is the product of scholarly work but comes in the form of a guidebook of answers to questions simple and complex about everything to do with the two topics. It is fit for both the policymaker and the concerned parent (how many books can this be said of?) because it combines a rigorous analytical approach to drugs without skipping over the social reasons the topic deserves to be discussed in the home. Kleiman, Caulkins and Hawken's review of the nuances of the drug issue can't help but elicit an appreciation for the variety of approaches against drug use that could supplement or substitute for our current top-down one." --Forbes.com
"Drugs and Drug Policy is a practical book which aims to debunk myths...thoughtful and clearly written." - The Economist
"A product of genius, in form and content: more than two hundred questions, all relevant and urgent, with succinct and lucid answers. When I started the book, I had strong opinions on many of the topics it covered; again and again--every time the book came into conflict with my original beliefs--the authors changed my mind. If you care about drugs, you need to read this book. If you don't, read it anyway, just to see how it's done." --Thomas Schelling, 2005 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences
"In this deceptively simple book, Mark A.R. Kleiman, Jonathan P. Caulkins, and Angela Hawken eviscerate many of the arguments behind the policies that have been the leading weapons in the war on drugs. But they also cast a skeptical eye on some shibboleths of the burgeoning drug reform movement...the authors' penetrating and nuanced critique of the growing calls for legalization is one of the highlights of the book." -- The New Republic
"This book is incredibly useful, in both format and content. It has made me more aware than ever of the extent to which people are either uninformed or misinformed about most issues having to do with drug policy, drug trafficking, and criminal a
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
While there have always been norms and customs around the use of drugs, explicit public policies--regulations, taxes, and prohibitions--designed to control drug abuse are a more recent phenomenon. Those policies sometimes have terrible side-effects: most prominently the development of criminal enterprises dealing in forbidden (or untaxed) drugs and the use of the profits of drug-dealing to finance insurgency and terrorism. Neither a drug-free world nor a world of free drugs seems to be on offer, leaving citizens and officials to face the age-old problem: What are we going to do about drugs? In Drugs and Drug Policy, three noted authorities survey the subject with exceptional clarity, in this addition to the acclaimed series, What Everyone Needs to Know. They begin by, defining <"drugs,>" examining how they work in the brain, discussing the nature of addiction, and exploring the damage they do to users. The book moves on to policy, answering questions about legalization, the role of criminal prohibitions, and the relative legal tolerance for alcohol and tobacco. The authors then dissect the illicit trade, from street dealers to the flow of money to the effect of catching kingpins, and show the precise nature of the relationship between drugs and crime. They examine treatment, both its effectiveness and the role of public policy, and discuss the beneficial effects of some abusable substances. Finally they move outward to look at the role of drugs in our foreign policy, their relationship to terrorism, and the ugly politics that surround the issue. Crisp, clear, and comprehensive, this is a handy and up-to-date overview of one of the most pressing topics in today's world.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is a very nice book. The authors have a very innovative way to present nowadays data considering anything related to drugs. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in learning anything new regarding drugs and drugs policy. It is a very useful book for teachers, students and even doctors who deal with drug users.
Format:Paperback
This is a good read, and provides a useful base of facts regarding the impact of various drug policies and helps illustrate the many basic misconceptions regarding the available policy options that are common conversation fodder around the dinner table. Clearly outlines the basic advantages and disadvantages of specific policies. Note that it's relatively brief and is not written like an academic text, but is in a question and answer format for easy consumption, also it is less than exhaustive and some of the points certainly deserve more discussion. For the most part the text is not overly prescriptive and does not push an agenda or a specific policy as a panacea. If you are short on time - and are interested in the subject - you could do much worse.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
9 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Extremely useful for policymakers
15 Jun 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Kleiman, Caulkins, and Hawken have pulled a great coup with this volume. They managed to condense, in very readable terms, layer upon layer of scholarly research about the many facets of drug policy. Their encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject matter, combined with a breezy style, allows the reader to quickly make sense of complex and controversial issues. This is not, however, a dry reference book: the authors have strong, sometimes eccentric opinions that will not be to everyone's liking. But that is indeed one of this book's strenghts: it allows its pages to feel as an animated conservation with three very smart people.
Anyone with even a passing interest in drugs or drug policy should buy this book; and for policymakers involved in drug issues, this should be required reading.
Anyone with even a passing interest in drugs or drug policy should buy this book; and for policymakers involved in drug issues, this should be required reading.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Great Book for Undergraduate Courses
13 Jun 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
I used a preview version of this book for a class on illegal drug markets. In the past, I used academic articles by these same authors for issues like supply side drug enforcement efforts,and legalization. This book has the same authority and non-dogmatic presentation as those articles, but is more accessible. As a result of the introductory information, my students seemed to be better prepared to debate complex topics like legalization intelligently. I found the comparisons with alcohol and tobacco to be very helpful for my students, who for some reasons tend to see illegal drugs as very different substances.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Great for reports
14 Jun 2011
Format:Paperback
This book will be great for public libraries. High school students and undergraduates looking for information on drug policy will find this a
good source that lays out the facts in an easy to follow manner.
good source that lays out the facts in an easy to follow manner.
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