Co-operation of countries within the Organization of American States to combat drug problems

The Organization of American States, an intergovernmental organization of 31 member States, has given the highest priority to the promotion of co-operative inter-American action to combat drug problems. In resolution 699, adopted at its Fourteenth Regular Meeting in November 1984, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States recognized drug trafficking as a crime affecting all of mankind and convoked the Inter-American Specialized Conference on Traffic in Narcotic Drugs to take place at Rio de Janeiro in April 1986. The Conference, which analysed drug problems in all their aspects, focused on problems of drug trafficking and on ways and means to resolve them. It also emphasized the need to increase public awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and its associated problems with a view to decreasing illicit demand for drugs in the Americas. The Conference adopted specific measures for promoting effective inter-American co-operation to help member States to reduce the illegal cultivation of narcotic crops, to eliminate clandestine drug laboratories, to interrupt the flow and distribution of illicit drugs, and to find the means of taking the profit out of drug trafficking operations.

The role of an intergovernmental regional organization in combating drug trafficking: a perspective of the Colombo Plan Bureau

The Colombo Plan was established in 1950 as a regional intergovernmental organization for co-operative economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific comprising 26 member States. The permanent secretariat is the Colombo Plan Bureau to which is attached the Drug Advisory Programme (DAP) headed by a drug adviser, who consults with Governments and helps develop co-operative programmes for drug abuse prevention and control. DAP functions in close liaison and co-operation with organizations of the United Nations system and other regional and international organizations in pursuing activities in line with the international strategy and policies for drug control of the United Nations. DAP assists member States in creating public awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and drug trafficking through the use of mass media, seminars, workshops and conferences and study exchange programmes. It assists Governments in updating their drug laws and in establishing special drug units and national co-ordinating bodies on drug abuse control. DAP encourages and supports the utilization of community resources and the activities of non-governmental organizations and voluntary bodies for the prevention and reduction of drug abuse, as well as the use of mass media for more co-ordinated efforts in this area. It assists member States in developing human resources and technical expertise of personnel in the various disciplines of law enforcement, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, through training, seminars, study exchange fellowship programmes and research. DAP also assists in promoting co-operation at the regional and interregional levels, and is involved in developing and strengthening co-operation between agencies of member States that deal with drug problems.

Co-operation between Canada and other countries and territories to promote countermeasures against illicit drug trafficking

This article reviews the current programme and legislation relating to drug control and co-operation in drug law enforcement between Canada and other countries. The article also outlines the measures proposed by the authors to promote world-wide co-operation in controlling the illicit traffic in drugs. The authors make the following suggestions: in order to prevent individuals involved in organized crime from profiting from their illegal activities, standards for criminal laws should be established at the international level to ensure that no country or territory can be used as a haven for organized crime and profits derived from it; national Governments must ensure that co-operation is extended to all investigations and enquiries concerning organized crime; bilateral and multilateral treaties should be developed and adopted to ensure the exchange of information and mutual co-operation in law enforcement action against organized crime; international co-operation is needed to ensure the effective prosecution of individuals involved in organized international criminal groups and the removal of their illegally accumulated profits, which should result in the dismantling of the illegal organizations to prevent their entrenchment in contemporary societies.

Business as usual: heroin distribution in the United States

This article criticizes the predominant analysis of heroin use as a social aberration and argues instead that the normal structure and functioning of U.S. capitalism generate both the market for the drug and the industry which supplies it. The structure of the distribution industry is much like those for comparable legal goods, but with distinctive features which provide reduced risk for dealers and long-term stability for the industry as a whole. The expansionary dynamic of the industry and the key role of syndicates in it are analyzed. The heroin industry is deeply integrated into the economy, and far-reaching social and economic change will be necessary if heroin use is to be significantly reduced.

Congregation sites for youthful multiple drug users: locations for epidemiological research and intervention

Field research techniques were used to collect observational and interview data at outdoor sites in the south Chicago suburbs where youthful drug users congregated during good weather to buy, sell and use multiple drugs. Results indicated that the distribution system for non-opiate drugs is more stable than previously thought and that drug purchase occurs at such outdoor sites in the summer months and at the homes of drug users' friends during the winter. The largest and most active site in the area, a forest preserve, was intensively studied utilizing epidemiological survey and participant observation techniques. In contrast to smaller, neighborhood sites, this area attracted drug users and dealers extensively involved in heavy multiple drug use. Subjects came from an extremely wide area and were not organized into cohesive friendship groups formed during grade school and high school. A wide range of drug types was regularly available. The large proportion of unemployed youth and high school dropouts among the sample suggested that field techniques at such sites would be more likely to contact those youth most heavily involved in drug distribution and use than programs based in schools or industry.