Arguments for and against drug prohibition

Arguments against drug prohibition tend to fall into one of three categories: The war on drugs is having little or no effect on the trafficking of drugs, except to make them more expensive. Since the use of all major recreational drugs except opiates has increased since the passing of the laws which illegalized them, the increase in cost cannot be said to discourage the use of the drugs. The war on drugs is extremely costly to our society in terms of taxpayer dollars, lives, productivity, the inability of law enforcemen ...

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Arguments for and against drug prohibition, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Arguments for prohibition, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Health, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Drug prohibition as a solution to perceived problems of society, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Crime rates, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Commercial exploitation of drug addiction, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Arguments against prohibition, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Reduction in drug dealing profits, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Drug addiction as a public health issue, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Cost of drugs, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Unequal enforcement of drug laws, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Effect on producer countries, Arguments for and against drug prohibition - Compromise

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The War on Drugs is an initiative undertaken in the United States to carry out an "all-out offensive" (as President Nixon described it) against the non-medical use of certain prohibited drugs. The Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress noted in a 1989 report that the nation's war on drugs could be considered to have started in public policy dating to November 1880, when the U.S. and China completed an agreement which prohibited the shipment of opium between the two countries. By February 1887, the 49th Congress enacted legislation making it a misdemeanor for anyone on Amer ...

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Prohibition drugs - Early drug laws. Although the present War on Drugs is a distinctly modern phenomenon, drug laws have been a common feature of human culture throughout history. Perhaps the earliest recorded example in the Old World is the prohibition of the use of alcohol under Islamic law (Sharia), which is usually attributed to passages in the Qur'an purportedly dating from the 7th century. Some Muslim scholars assert that this prohibition actually addresses only the abuse of alcohol, but they ...

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Prohibition drugs, Prohibition drugs - Scope, Prohibition drugs - History, Prohibition drugs - Early drug laws, Prohibition drugs - Twentieth century, Prohibition drugs - Drug control strategy, Prohibition drugs - Methods of enforcement, Prohibition drugs - Legal provisions, Prohibition drugs - Penalties

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The 1957 World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Addiction-Producing Drugs defined addiction and habituation as components of drug abuse: Drug addiction is a state of periodic or chronic intoxication produced by the repeated consumption of a drug (natural or synthetic). Its characteristics include: (i) an overpowering desire or need (compulsion) to continue taking the drug and to obtain it by any means; (ii) a tendency to increase the dose; (iii) a psychic (psychological) and generally a physical dependence on the effects of the drug; and (iv) det ...

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Drug addiction, Drug addiction - The basis for addiction, Drug addiction - Evolutionary psychology view of addiction, Drug addiction - The chemicals responsible, Drug addiction - Mechanisms of effect, Drug addiction - Recovery from drug addiction, Drug addiction - Medical definitions, Drug addiction - Drugs considered to be addictive Some may be debatable, Drug addiction - Addiction and drug control legislation, Drug addiction - Literature

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The Network Against Prohibition (NAP) is a group dedicated to promoting and protecting the health and human rights of illicit drug users around the globe as well as the rights of those living in communities in developing countries who rely on opium, coca, cannabis etc for their survival! NAP originally formed in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia, however the group claims to be undergoing an expansion. As well as engaging in activism and direct action activities, NAP provide a number of health and other services to people who use illicit drugs ...

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Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - About the Network Against Prohibition NAP, Network Against Prohibition - Activities of the Northern Territory Chapter of the Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - The Parliament Invasion, Network Against Prohibition - Bill-pasting, Network Against Prohibition - Community Smoke-Ins and court, Network Against Prohibition - Other NAPNT court cases, Network Against Prohibition - An alternative view on NAPNT, Network Against Prohibition - Election campaigns, Network Against Prohibition - Affiliations

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Illegal drug trade - Anabolic steroids. For detailed information on anabolic steroids, see the Anabolic steroids article. Illegal use of anabolic steroids, a class of hormones, is primarily to improve the muscular system of the human body for either increased performance (for example by athletes) or better bodybuilding results. Anabolic steroids are not known to be chemically addictive, but can be psycho ...

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Illegal drug trade, Illegal drug trade - Manufacturing and processing, Illegal drug trade - Distribution and wholesaling, Illegal drug trade - Retail selling, Illegal drug trade - Availability of controlled substances over the Internet, Illegal drug trade - Rising influence of Mexican cartels in drug trafficking in the U.S., Illegal drug trade - Punishments in various countries, Illegal drug trade - Australia, Illegal drug trade - The Netherlands, Illegal drug trade - Indonesia, Illegal drug trade - Trade of specific drugs, Illegal drug trade - Anabolic steroids, Illegal drug trade - Cannabis, Illegal drug trade - LSD, Illegal drug trade - Psilocybin mushrooms, Illegal drug trade - Alcohol, Illegal drug trade - Tobacco, Illegal drug trade - Cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Crack cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Heroin and opium, Illegal drug trade - Methamphetamine

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Many people do not find the hard/soft drug distinction useful, as it is the drug users' behavior that is the most important determinate of harm, not the choice of drug: all drugs can be harmful if misused. A more useful distinction ranks drugs according to their toxicity and addictive potential. However, the legal treatment of drugs still seems influenced by perception rather than fact, so this article will group the discussion accordingly. "Soft" drugs are generally drugs which are perceived to have less potential for causing physica ...

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Illegal drug trade, Illegal drug trade - Soft drugs, Illegal drug trade - Anabolic steroids trade, Illegal drug trade - Cannabis trade, Illegal drug trade - Ecstasy MDMA trade, Illegal drug trade - Ketamine trade, Illegal drug trade - LSD trade, Illegal drug trade - GHB trade, Illegal drug trade - PCP trade, Illegal drug trade - Psilocybin Mushroom trade, Illegal drug trade - Illegal alcohol trade, Illegal drug trade - Illegal tobacco trade, Illegal drug trade - Hard drugs, Illegal drug trade - Cocaine trade, Illegal drug trade - Crack Cocaine trade, Illegal drug trade - Heroin and opium trade, Illegal drug trade - Methamphetamine trade, Illegal drug trade - Manufacturing and processing, Illegal drug trade - Distribution and wholesaling, Illegal drug trade - Retail selling, Illegal drug trade - Rising influence Of Mexican cartels in drug trafficking in the U.S., Illegal drug trade - Punishments in various countries, Illegal drug trade - Australia, Illegal drug trade - The Netherlands/Holland, Illegal drug trade - Indonesia

Read more here: » Illegal drug trade: Encyclopedia II - Illegal drug trade - Soft drugs

Many are under the impression that law enforcement are winning the war on drugs. They also assume that if enough drug dealers are arrested, then our children and streets will be safe. However, it can be argued that its not the dealers who are causing the "problem" but rather the demand for drugs that give an incentive to drug dealers to step in and make handsome profits. Cocaine for example, as stated in its respective article "Cocaine use is prevalent across all socioeconomic strata, including age, demographics, economic, social, political, ...

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Demand reduction, Demand reduction - Success rate, Demand reduction - Effects on the war on drugs, Demand reduction - Just Say No, Demand reduction - How to prevent drug abuse?

Read more here: » Demand reduction: Encyclopedia II - Demand reduction - Effects on the war on drugs

The Northern Territory Chapter of NAP hold regular Community Smoke-Ins in Raintree Park in the Darwin CBD. The group has held twenty-five of these events since the chapter was established in Darwin in March 2002. The NT Police intervened at the first Smoke-In, held on April 20, 2002, arresting five NAP members. All charges were subsequently dropped. Police intervened again at the sixth Community Smoke-In, held on October 12, 2002. Five NAP members were arrested - Ema Corro, Gary Meyerhoff, Michael John Barry, Nico ...

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Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - About the Network Against Prohibition NAP, Network Against Prohibition - Activities of the Northern Territory Chapter of the Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - The Parliament Invasion, Network Against Prohibition - Bill-pasting, Network Against Prohibition - Community Smoke-Ins and court, Network Against Prohibition - Other NAPNT court cases, Network Against Prohibition - An alternative view on NAPNT, Network Against Prohibition - Election campaigns, Network Against Prohibition - Affiliations

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On August 26, 2003, Northern Territory police arrested two NAP members, Gary William Meyerhoff and Michael John Barry and charged them with two counts each of criminal damage. The charges were subsequently dropped but the Darwin City Council issued the NAPNT members with infringement notices for “affixing a handbill to a pole without a permit”, a breach of section 97 of the Darwin City Council by-laws. Meyerhoff elected to have the matter dealt with in the Darwin magistrate's court and he was found guilty of the offence by Magistrate Antony Gillies on October 28, 2004. He is the first pers ...

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Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - About the Network Against Prohibition NAP, Network Against Prohibition - Activities of the Northern Territory Chapter of the Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - The Parliament Invasion, Network Against Prohibition - Bill-pasting, Network Against Prohibition - Community Smoke-Ins and court, Network Against Prohibition - Other NAPNT court cases, Network Against Prohibition - An alternative view on NAPNT, Network Against Prohibition - Election campaigns, Network Against Prohibition - Affiliations

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Critics of NAPNT state that it has very limited support from the people of the Northern Territory. The population of the Northern Territory is almost 200,000 people. In the 2005 Northern Territory election NAPNT ran 5 candidates in a total of 25 electorates. Critics claim that the main members of NAPNT are unemployed and therefore rely on unemployment benefits from the Australian Government to enable then to pursue their protest activities. ...

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Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - About the Network Against Prohibition NAP, Network Against Prohibition - Activities of the Northern Territory Chapter of the Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - The Parliament Invasion, Network Against Prohibition - Bill-pasting, Network Against Prohibition - Community Smoke-Ins and court, Network Against Prohibition - Other NAPNT court cases, Network Against Prohibition - An alternative view on NAPNT, Network Against Prohibition - Election campaigns, Network Against Prohibition - Affiliations

Read more here: » Network Against Prohibition: Encyclopedia II - Network Against Prohibition - An alternative view on NAPNT

NAPNT is a member of the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) and The International Coalition of NGO's for Just and Effective Drugs Policy (ICN). The network has strong connections with drug user activists from across the globe. In Darwin, NAPNT members work closely with the NT AIDS and Hep C Council (NTAHC) [5] and a range of other community-based agencies. ...

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Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - About the Network Against Prohibition NAP, Network Against Prohibition - Activities of the Northern Territory Chapter of the Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - The Parliament Invasion, Network Against Prohibition - Bill-pasting, Network Against Prohibition - Community Smoke-Ins and court, Network Against Prohibition - Other NAPNT court cases, Network Against Prohibition - An alternative view on NAPNT, Network Against Prohibition - Election campaigns, Network Against Prohibition - Affiliations

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Just say no drug campaigns, scare tactics and misleading information about drugs has had little, or no effect on the consumption of drugs. It can be argued that drugs (illicit) have done nothing except grow in popularity and gain more acceptance, particularly with teenagers and young adults. Programs such as D.A.R.E have been highly critised, even by national and government organisations. If effectiveness is relevant, then the an ...

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Demand reduction, Demand reduction - Success rate, Demand reduction - Effects on the war on drugs, Demand reduction - Just Say No, Demand reduction - How to prevent drug abuse?

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Illegal drug trade - Availability of controlled substances over the Internet. "No Prescription Websites" (NPWs) offer to sell controlled substances without a valid prescription. NPWs were first recognized by the U.S. Justice Department in 1999, indicating that such sites had been operating at least through the late 1990s. NPWs enable dealers and users to complete transactions without direct contact. While many NPWs accept credit cards, others only accept cash thereby further reducing any paper trail. Many NPWs ar ...

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Illegal drug trade, Illegal drug trade - Manufacturing and processing, Illegal drug trade - Distribution and wholesaling, Illegal drug trade - Retail selling, Illegal drug trade - Availability of controlled substances over the Internet, Illegal drug trade - Rising influence of Mexican cartels in drug trafficking in the U.S., Illegal drug trade - Punishments in various countries, Illegal drug trade - Australia, Illegal drug trade - The Netherlands, Illegal drug trade - Indonesia, Illegal drug trade - Trade of specific drugs, Illegal drug trade - Anabolic steroids, Illegal drug trade - Cannabis, Illegal drug trade - LSD, Illegal drug trade - Psilocybin mushrooms, Illegal drug trade - Alcohol, Illegal drug trade - Tobacco, Illegal drug trade - Cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Crack cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Heroin and opium, Illegal drug trade - Methamphetamine

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Illegal drug trade - Australia. There is a movement in Australia to make some narcotics decriminalised, particularly cannabis, making the possession of such a non-convictable offence in most states (however, the definition of what constitutes possession can differ between states). Heroin trials have been tried in various states with mixed results. As a result of the decriminalisation, the punishments for drug use and drug dealing in Australia are typically very small, with many ...

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Illegal drug trade, Illegal drug trade - Manufacturing and processing, Illegal drug trade - Distribution and wholesaling, Illegal drug trade - Retail selling, Illegal drug trade - Availability of controlled substances over the Internet, Illegal drug trade - Rising influence of Mexican cartels in drug trafficking in the U.S., Illegal drug trade - Punishments in various countries, Illegal drug trade - Australia, Illegal drug trade - The Netherlands, Illegal drug trade - Indonesia, Illegal drug trade - Trade of specific drugs, Illegal drug trade - Anabolic steroids, Illegal drug trade - Cannabis, Illegal drug trade - LSD, Illegal drug trade - Psilocybin mushrooms, Illegal drug trade - Alcohol, Illegal drug trade - Tobacco, Illegal drug trade - Cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Crack cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Heroin and opium, Illegal drug trade - Methamphetamine

Read more here: » Illegal drug trade: Encyclopedia II - Illegal drug trade - Punishments in various countries

There are two primary means of distribution: a hierarchy and a hub-and-spoke layout. A hierarchical arrangement includes the manufacturer who uses his own men to smuggle, wholesale and store, and distribute the narcotics. A hub-and-spoke layout takes advantage of local gangs and other localized criminal organizations. The cartel is at the center, with satellite organizations that may provide certain services to the manufacturer, and then there is a plurality of distinct groups, each with its own chain. Smuggling is typically accomplished via small boats and ya ...

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Illegal drug trade, Illegal drug trade - Manufacturing and processing, Illegal drug trade - Distribution and wholesaling, Illegal drug trade - Retail selling, Illegal drug trade - Availability of controlled substances over the Internet, Illegal drug trade - Rising influence of Mexican cartels in drug trafficking in the U.S., Illegal drug trade - Punishments in various countries, Illegal drug trade - Australia, Illegal drug trade - The Netherlands, Illegal drug trade - Indonesia, Illegal drug trade - Trade of specific drugs, Illegal drug trade - Anabolic steroids, Illegal drug trade - Cannabis, Illegal drug trade - LSD, Illegal drug trade - Psilocybin mushrooms, Illegal drug trade - Alcohol, Illegal drug trade - Tobacco, Illegal drug trade - Cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Crack cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Heroin and opium, Illegal drug trade - Methamphetamine

Read more here: » Illegal drug trade: Encyclopedia II - Illegal drug trade - Distribution and wholesaling

Illegal drugs can be broken down into two major classes: those extracted from plants, and those synthesized from chemical precursors. For the first class, such as cannabis and cocaine, the growing area is important, and substantial farming is needed for mass production. For the second class, such as MDMA and methamphetamine, access to chemical precursors is most important. Major drug farming and manufacturing countries include Colombia and other Latin American countries, mainly for cocaine the Asian Golden Triang ...

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Illegal drug trade, Illegal drug trade - Manufacturing and processing, Illegal drug trade - Distribution and wholesaling, Illegal drug trade - Retail selling, Illegal drug trade - Availability of controlled substances over the Internet, Illegal drug trade - Rising influence of Mexican cartels in drug trafficking in the U.S., Illegal drug trade - Punishments in various countries, Illegal drug trade - Australia, Illegal drug trade - The Netherlands, Illegal drug trade - Indonesia, Illegal drug trade - Trade of specific drugs, Illegal drug trade - Anabolic steroids, Illegal drug trade - Cannabis, Illegal drug trade - LSD, Illegal drug trade - Psilocybin mushrooms, Illegal drug trade - Alcohol, Illegal drug trade - Tobacco, Illegal drug trade - Cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Crack cocaine, Illegal drug trade - Heroin and opium, Illegal drug trade - Methamphetamine

Read more here: » Illegal drug trade: Encyclopedia II - Illegal drug trade - Manufacturing and processing

Scientists have long accepted that there is a biological basis for drug addiction, though the exact mechanisms responsible are only now being identified. It is believed that addictive substances create dependence in the user by changing the brain's reward functions, located in the mesolimbic dopamine system—the part of the brain that reinforces certain behaviors such as eating, sexual intercourse, exercise, and social interaction. Addictive substances, through various means and to different degrees, cause the synapses of this system to flood with excessive amounts of dopamine, creati ...

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Drug addiction, Drug addiction - The basis for addiction, Drug addiction - Evolutionary psychology view of addiction, Drug addiction - The chemicals responsible, Drug addiction - Mechanisms of effect, Drug addiction - Recovery from drug addiction, Drug addiction - Medical definitions, Drug addiction - Drugs considered to be addictive Some may be debatable, Drug addiction - Addiction and drug control legislation, Drug addiction - Literature

Read more here: » Drug addiction: Encyclopedia II - Drug addiction - The basis for addiction

It could be described as ludicrous to think that the illicit drug market and consumption will miraculously disapear. Most anti-drug campaigns focus on illegal drugs and not legal drugs such as prescription, alcohol, and tobacco. Recurrently showing the "kids" that drugs of all kinds, particularly medically can fix many of lifes problems, and alcohol if done responsibly is very much accepted in society. However, illegal drugs particularly marijuana, can be almost described as harmless while alcohol and tobacoo destroy the lives of millions mo ...

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Demand reduction, Demand reduction - Success rate, Demand reduction - Effects on the war on drugs, Demand reduction - Just Say No, Demand reduction - How to prevent drug abuse?

Read more here: » Demand reduction: Encyclopedia II - Demand reduction - Success rate

On May 14, 2002, ten people associated with NAPNT interrupted the Legislative Assembly of Australia's Northern Territory. Nine of these became the first people charged under Section 61 of the Northern Territory Criminal Code: "disturbing the legislative assembly whilst it is in session." This is the first time that legislation like this has been used anywhere in the Westminster system since the days of Oliver Cromwell. Of the nine, Andrew Albert Tasman Deacon pleaded guilty at the first instance, and after an initia ...

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Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - About the Network Against Prohibition NAP, Network Against Prohibition - Activities of the Northern Territory Chapter of the Network Against Prohibition, Network Against Prohibition - The Parliament Invasion, Network Against Prohibition - Bill-pasting, Network Against Prohibition - Community Smoke-Ins and court, Network Against Prohibition - Other NAPNT court cases, Network Against Prohibition - An alternative view on NAPNT, Network Against Prohibition - Election campaigns, Network Against Prohibition - Affiliations

Read more here: » Network Against Prohibition: Encyclopedia II - Network Against Prohibition - The Parliament Invasion