Losing the War on Drugs: Prohibition and Proliferation

Contemporary patterns of drug use have evolved from changing polices, which have been shaped by political, economic, demographic and social changes. Before the European colonisation of Asia, opium production was limited and the drug was used almost solely for medicinal purposes (McCoy, 1972: 59). This changed during the eighteenth century when large scale opium smuggling by colonial powers created addicted populations and financed the building of the colonies (McCoy, 1972; Nakoe, 1993). Prohibition, driven by moral crusades in the late nineteenth century, triggered restrictions on drug use and trafficking (McCoy, 2000). Massive expansions in drug markets and drug abuse followed prohibition, prompting calls for tougher measures to contain the problem; ironically, these strategies have exacerbated the situation. Despite ample evidence of the failure of punitive drug law enforcement strategies, there are few efforts being made in Australia or internationally, towards non-punitive drug policy reform.