Journal of Economic Literature
ISSN 0022-0515 (Print) | ISSN 2328-8175 (Online)
Review of Drug War Heresies by MacCoun and Reuter
Journal of Economic Literature
vol. 41,
no. 2, June 2003
(pp. 540–544)
Abstract
MacCoun and Reuter's primary goal is to understand how current U.S. drug policies can be improved. They carefully describe the facts and trends regarding drug usage, criminal justice enforcement, and the harms associated with drug use, then discuss the public debate surrounding drug prohibition and give an informal treatment of the theory underlying the competing positions. The authors study policies towards other vices like gambling, cigarettes, alcohol, and prostitution, as well as drug policies in other times and places. The broader implication that emerges is that there is a desperate need for better data and increased research if there is any hope for making truly informed policy on illicit drugs.Citation
Levitt, Steven, D. 2003. "Review of Drug War Heresies by MacCoun and Reuter." Journal of Economic Literature, 41 (2): 540–544. DOI: 10.1257/002205103765762752JEL Classification
- K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law