Drug policy and the public good: evidence for effective interventions

John Strang; Thomas Babor; Jonathan Caulkins; Benedikt Fischer; David Foxcroft; Keith Humphreys

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61674-7

Drug policy and the public good: evidence for effective interventions

John Strang, Thomas Babor, Jonathan Caulkins, Benedikt Fischer, David Foxcroft, Keith Humphreys

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

177 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Debates about which policy initiatives can prevent or reduce the damage that illicit drugs cause to the public good are rarely informed by scientific evidence. Fortunately, evidence-based interventions are increasingly being identified that are capable of making drugs less available, reducing violence in drug markets, lessening misuse of legal pharmaceuticals, preventing drug use initiation in young people, and reducing drug use and its consequences in established drug users. We review relevant evidence and outline the likely effects of fuller implementation of existing interventions. The reasoning behind the final decisions for action might be of a non-scientific nature, focused more on what the public and policy-makers deem of value. Nevertheless, important opportunities exist for science to inform these deliberations and guide the selection of policies that maximise the public good.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	71 - 83
Number of pages	13
Journal	The Lancet
Volume	379
Issue number	9810
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61674-7
Publication status	Published - 7 Jan 2012

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10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61674-7

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AU - Caulkins, Jonathan

AU - Fischer, Benedikt

AU - Foxcroft, David

AU - Humphreys, Keith

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AB - Debates about which policy initiatives can prevent or reduce the damage that illicit drugs cause to the public good are rarely informed by scientific evidence. Fortunately, evidence-based interventions are increasingly being identified that are capable of making drugs less available, reducing violence in drug markets, lessening misuse of legal pharmaceuticals, preventing drug use initiation in young people, and reducing drug use and its consequences in established drug users. We review relevant evidence and outline the likely effects of fuller implementation of existing interventions. The reasoning behind the final decisions for action might be of a non-scientific nature, focused more on what the public and policy-makers deem of value. Nevertheless, important opportunities exist for science to inform these deliberations and guide the selection of policies that maximise the public good.

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Drug policy and the public good: evidence for effective interventions

Abstract

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