What Is Drug Policy For?

The production, sale and possession of some drugs is criminalized - but why? And why, despite vast resources and budgets, have international efforts to control them so consistently failed?

Julia Buxton looks at how our current drug control regime came about from the first US-driven international meeting on drug control in the early 20th century and the ideologies behind it. She also charts the evolution of today’s drugs market, looking at where drugs are produced and consumed, giving voice to those who get caught up in this world.

Ultimately she asks: if the current strategy isn’t working, what should replace it?

Julia Buxton is Professor of Justice at John Moores University in Liverpool and British Academy Global Professor. Her research, teaching and supervision focus on illicit drug markets and the impact of counter narcotics policies on development, gender equality and security. She has experience of applied and practice focused research in policy design and evaluation, including conflict, rights based and gender sensitive processes. She has geographical expertise on Latin America and is a specialist on Venezuela.

Julia was previously Professor of Comparative Politics, Associate Dean and Acting Dean at the School of Public Policy, Central European University in Budapest where she managed awards from Open Society Foundations Global Drug Policy Programme on drug policy analysis, drug policy enforcement, and an annual drug policy reform summer school. She previously held positions in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, Georgetown University and Kingston University.