Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
24 June 2011
Drug Trade Threatens Governments
Four decades into the “War on Drugs” with little
discernible success, the Obama administration
decides on a change of tactics
In 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon declared a “War on Drugs.” Since then, the body count runs into the tens of thousands and according to Time (March 25, 2009) “within the past 40 years, the U.S. government has spent over $2.5 trillion dollars fighting the” global narcotics trade.
Harm Reduction rather than Crime Fighting
The United States has very little to show for the massive effort to shut down a trade for which there is an unquenchable demand.
Writing in The Guardian (May 29, 2010), Sasha Abramsky says most of the accomplishments have been negative: “It has led to unprecedented expansions in prisoner populations at a state and federal level; the building of hundreds of new prisons…at a staggering cost to state budgets; has impacted American foreign policy around the globe; and has wreaked havoc on already dilapidated communities and their residents.”
U.S. National Drug Control Strategy
Seeing the apparent failure of the mailed fist approach, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is trying the velvet glove. There is less talk about the War on Drugs and more about treatment and rehabilitation for addicts.
Kathleen Sebelius is the Health and Social Services Secretary in Washington and she
says the new approach will “target screening and early intervention, so we can avoid
the enormous human and economic costs of full-
All of this is wrapped up in The 2010 National Drug Control Strategy released by the White House on May 11, 2010.
The change of tack is not going to shut down the narcotics supply chains, (the all-
However, the illicit trade in narcotics has become so bad that the crime associated with it threatens to pull down national governments.
The Search for Christopher Coke
Some areas of Kingston, Jamaica have been no-
In late May 2010, heavily armed police and soldiers forced their way into the Tivoli Garden (below) slum of West
BBC World Service
Kingston. They were looking for an underworld boss called Christopher “Dudus” Coke who is wanted in the United States to face charges of drug trafficking. But, the wanted man was able to put a large force of gunmen onto the streets to stop the government forces.
Coke was eventually captured when he was stopped in a road block. He faces trial in New York on charges of drug and weapons trafficking.
Government Connection of Drug Dealers
Christopher Coke’s power extended much further than his ability to order foot soldiers onto the streets. His influence reached into the highest offices of Jamaica’s government. Writing in The Times, (May 29, 2010) Ian Thomson points out that, “In Jamaica, the link between politics and crime is pronounced.”
The connections began soon after Jamaica gained its independence from Britain in 1962. Political parties began hiring thugs to intimidate voters and the most successful employer of this tactic has been the currently governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
According to Jon Silverman, the author of book Crack of Doom (BBC News, May 27, 2010)
“For [the drug lords], the transaction is simple: They supply the votes to put either
the JLP -
Mexico Declares War on Drug Cartels
Parts of Mexico suffer from similar problems to those seen in Jamaica; there are areas where drug traffickers are more powerful than the government.
The lawlessness comes in spite of a major effort by Mexican President Felipe Calderon to control the drug trafficking.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail (May 29, 2010) President Calderon said “What was the option? If we ignored the criminals, we allow them to take over towns and communities and that’s not fair to Mexican people.”
Limited Success of Mexico’s Battle with Drug Cartels
Some Mexican drug lords have been captured or killed and 300 people have been arrested and sent to the U.S. to face charges, and guns and drugs have been seized. But the cost has been high. Putting 45,000 soldiers and 5,000 police officers into the battle runs up a bill of $8 billion a year.
However, in March 2009, Dennis Blair, the Director of National Intelligence in the U.S. said that the Mexican government had lost control of its own territory.
Sources
“The War on Drugs.” Claire Suddath, Time, March 25, 2009.
“Consign the ‘War on Drugs’ to History.” Sasha Abramsky, The Guardian, May 29, 2010.
“2010 National Strategy.” U.S. White House, May 21, 2010.
“Independence only Brought Crime and Violence to Jamaica.” Ian Thomson, The Times, May 29, 2010.
“Jamaica Violence ‘Linked to U.S. Drug Market.’ ” Jon Silverman, BBC News, May 27, 2010.
“Canada, the New Synthetic Drug Baron?” Julian Sher, Globe and Mail, June 24, 2011.
© Canada and the World, June 2011
All rights reserved
DRUG NUMBERS
Number of people who took illicit drugs worldwide at least once in the previous year: 210 million
Percentage this is on the world’s population: 4.8%
Number of deaths caused by illicit drugs each year: 200,000
Number of tonnes of cocaine used by American in 2009: 157
Percentage this is of world consumption: 36%
Drug “prevention starts with a community that cares about the vulnerable and it involves families, teachers, youth leaders and mentors among others. We must start to think globally and act locally to curb drug use and drug trafficking.”
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director
Yury Fedotov.
“In the global trade in synthetic drugs like ecstasy and methamphetamines, Canada is one of the bad guys.”
Julian Sher
June 24,2011