Last summer, the Baker Institute introduced its Viewpoints blog series, which provides an array of expert views on a single issue. The first installment examined the prospect of a paramilitary force to fight drug cartels, as proposed by Mexico’s new… Continue Reading
What will the rise in prescription drug abuse mean for “the drug war” as we know it? Continue Reading
A recent study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows an increasing number of Americans are abusing legal or prescription drugs — especially teenagers. What lessons can prescription drug abuse teach us about the way we deal with illegal drugs in the United States? I can think of several. Continue Reading
Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest-growing drug problem. Some studies suggest that it has reached epidemic proportions, with prescription drugs being the second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana. Some people experiment with prescription drugs because they think they will help them have more fun, lose weight, fit in, or study better. Continue Reading
In the short-term, these initiatives will probably not have a large impact, though over the long-term the effects could significantly weaken Mexico’s cartels. Colorado’s initiative will not go into effect for more than a year because the regulatory framework must be adopted by the state by July 1, 2013, and only in October 2013 can licenses to sell be distributed. On the other hand, Washington’s law goes into effect in January 2013, but it is a more geographically isolated state; it would be easier to drive from Colorado to many other states to distribute Colorado marijuana. This process, which is likely and assumed in IMCO’s report, is the market mechanism that could reduce Mexican cartel profits. Continue Reading
President Obama has employed predator drones to target individuals associated with militant groups in the Middle East and South Asia, and has done so more often than his predecessor at any time. Looking at this strategy four years on, has it produced the results the administration was expecting? Continue Reading
Intelligence services in Mexico and the U.S. have identified a number of important drug trafficking leaders and placed them on the “Most Wanted” list. Many of the tactical efforts of the so-called war on drugs in Mexico have focused on these leaders. The administration of President Felipe Calderón now boasts it has captured or killed almost two-thirds of these most wanted criminals. This is one of the touted successes of the drug war that some claim has cost nearly 100,000 lives in Mexico alone. The question is whether targeting drug trafficking leaders is an effective strategy in the overall drug war. Continue Reading