Undoing Drugs: Beyond Legalization [Hardcover]

Daniel K. Benjamin (Author), Roger LeRoy Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 1992

Attempting to avoid the pitfalls of both blanket legislation and all-out federal prohibition, the authors argue for a drugs programme that eliminates the federal government's monopoly on drug policy and elevates the drug-enforcement powers of the 50 states and their local jurisdictions.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Unlike Vincent Bugliosi's Drugs in America ( LJ 8/91), which included legalization as one part of a whole drug plan, Benjamin and Miller, college professors viewing the drug problem from economic and historic perspectives, focus totally on the benefits of a limited form of legalization. The use of psychoactive substances has been "a fact of life" throughout history and, as Prohibition showed, attempts to ban all use will fail. To ease the problem, if not solve it, the authors propose a "Constitutional Alternative" to send all power to control the sale, manufacture, and distribution of psychoactive drugs back to the states. They convincingly show how giving states the same powers with drugs that they have with alcohol would lead to less crime and better public health. This is a novel proposal, one well worth consideration. Highly recommended for all libraries, even those purchasing Bugliosi's book, which this complements.
- Sally G. Waters, Stetson Law Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Come now two professors, economics and law, to join the ranks of self-styled experts on the drug scourge in America. Benjamin (former chief of staff, US Dept. of Labor; professor of economics, Clemson Univ.) and Miller (research professor, Clemson Univ.; professor of law, Univ. of Miami) after kicking off their book with familiar rehearsals of the historic use of drugs in America, the failed Nixon and Reagan wars on drugs, Jamaican posses and crack turf wars, come to their solution: the ``Constitutional Alternative.'' This proposed constitutional amendment would remove all federal regulations on narcotics with regard to legalization or restriction and give this power to the individual states: some may opt for getting tough and others for legalization. This would not only offer ``...freedom from the tyranny of the majority'' but also give ``...Americans the opportunity to choose drug policies that conform more closely to their disparate preferences and circumstances.'' Finally, ``the Constitutional Alternative recognizes and takes advantage of the simple, inescapable fact that no government is perfect, nor immune to ignorance or error.'' Would drug use skyrocket? ``There would be a small rise....'' Suppose a state legalizes drugs and addicts flood in. Would there be a surge in crime, drive-by shootings, and gang warfare? ``The answer, unequivocally, is no.'' For the two most dangerous drugs in America--alcohol and tobacco (539,000 deaths in 1989)--the authors acknowledge that these substances are under the jurisdiction of the states and therefore the ``Constitutional Alternative'' is already in place. What they omit is that, for all narcotics--under federal regulation since 1914--combined deaths in the same period were 7,100. For doubters, Benjamin and Miller trot out the Founding Fathers a dozen times and rouse the cry ``The time is now. We can undo drugs and retake America.'' Perfectly reasoned: sophistry and paste. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (January 17, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465088538
• ISBN-13: 978-0465088539
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,668,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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