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Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition 1/31/04 Edition

by Jeffrey A. Miron (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 19 ratings
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A balanced and sophisticated analysis of the true costs, benefits, and consequences of enforcing drug prohibition is presented in this book. Miron argues that prohibition's effects on drug use have been modest and that prohibition has numerous side effects, most of them highly undesirable. In particular, prohibition is shown to directly increase violent crime, even in cases where it deters drug use. Miron's analysis leads to a disturbing finding-the more resources given to the fight against drugs, the greater the homicide rate. The costs and benefits of several alternatives to the war on drugs are examined. The conclusion is unequivocal and states that any of the most widely discussed alternatives is likely to be a substantial improvement over current policy.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0945999909
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0945999904
  3. Edition
    1/31/04
  4. Publisher
    Independent Institute
  5. Publication date
    March 1, 2004
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  8. Print length
    130 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A powerful economic analysis advances the only practical alternative to the present failed policies." -- Joseph D. MacNamara, former Chief of Police of San Jose, California

"Jeffrey Miron strengthens and enriches the case with his analyses of data from the prohibition era and from other countries" -- Steven B. Duke, professor of law, Yale University

"Legislators and other policy-makers would benefit from his non-politicized, non-moralistic approach; everyone can benefit from reading this important, insightful work." -- Margaret M. Russell, vice president, ACLU

"[T]he standard for judging all else in the field . . . has been needed for a very long time." -- John L. Kane, Jr., senior judge, U.S. District Court

About the Author

Jeffrey A. Miron is professor of economics at Boston University. His articles on drug policy have appeared in Social Research, Journal of Law and Economics, Boston Globe, and the London Observer. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independent Institute; 1/31/04 edition (March 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 130 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0945999909
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0945999904
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

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Jeffrey A. Miron

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
19 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Carolyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very interesting book.
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William Carson
4.0 out of 5 stars Well Researched
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
Details why prohibition is not worth the costs— financial, moral, societal, etc.
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Aaron
5.0 out of 5 stars Enough is Enough!
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2010
Any objective observer can see that the United States' war on drugs is an epic failure. On the positive side, various states are taking the initiative in legalizing medical marijuana. On the other hand, the federal government still hasn't learned its lesson for decades. Short (107 pages), succinct, and backed by hard data, Miron's book presents a highly detailed critique of the U.S. government's war on drugs and the vast harm it has wrought. In addition, he makes the case for the only right alternative: full legalization of all drugs. Even if one doesn't agree with this conclusion, skeptics should read this book and understand that the approach and consequences of the status quo are unacceptable.
5 people found this helpful
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Jerome C. Boyer
2.0 out of 5 stars A scholarly essay
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2013
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The small book is well organized, but hard to read. The large number of in-line or footnote quotations and references makes smooth reading very difficult.

A good, in depth view of the current issues stemmed from the never ending war on drug. Because we live in Mexico, part of the year, a number of references to the drug cartels felt quite germane. The proposed solutions are debatable, But the statement of facts seems genuine.

The content is probably worth 4 to five stars. But it takes too much effort to go through it, thus the 2 star rating.
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Patrick Breheny
4.0 out of 5 stars At War With Ourselves
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2004
The interesting thing about economics is the lack of emphasis on intention. Economists don't care what the intent of the policy is, only the outcome. The result of this all-consuming focus is that economic analyses have a fascinating way of seeing past wishful thinking. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Jeffrey Miron's analysis of narcotics prohibition, Drug War Crimes: the Consequences of Prohibition. Nearly everyone agrees that the United States has a drug problem, and our government arrests 1.5 million people a year fighting it. Is prohibition making the problem worse?

Miron certainly thinks so. Although the book is nominally objective, Miron's personal opinions on the issue are clear. This is not necessarily a criticism - to paraphrase Howard Zinn's argument in A People's History of the United States, the large body of evidence that has been built up in support of drug prohibition compels a one-sided account in order to balance the scales.

The argument goes like this: abridging the rights of citizens to use drugs is morally questionable in the first place; even if you decide that eliminating drug use is a noble aim of the government, the negative consequences of prohibition outweigh its positives; even if they didn't, outright prohibition is the worst way to go about achieving this goal. So why do we spend $33 billion a year on it?

Many negative effects of drug use are self-evident, such as increased corruption, the spread of infectious disease through the sharing of needles, and the transfer of wealth to criminals. Two questions, however, warrant extended analysis: To what extent does prohibition lower consumption? And what is the effect of prohibition on violence? Miron's analysis suggests that prohibition reduces consumption by only about 20%, while leading to dramatic increases in violence.

Some of these arguments are quite convincing, others aren't, while still others are neither, either due to moral subjectivity or to a lack of data. Nearly all of them, however, are thought provoking, and some are shocking. In an example rich with parallels to drug prohibition, Miron describes actions taken by the U.S. government during the 1920s. Knowing that individuals would attempt to use industrial alcohol to produce moonshine, congress ordered industries to change their method of alcohol production, making it unsuitable for ingestion. While their decision to poison their own citizens probably convinced some not to brew their own alcohol, thousands of others became ill or died.

As an example of the tenor of Drug War Crimes, consider the section exploring the idea of rational drug. The section argues that the negative effects of many drugs have been widely exaggerated. In support of this assertion, Miron cites a study of the consumers of certain products, including narcotics. The study finds that the percentage of consumers still using narcotics five years after the study began is similar to that of many legal products. Miron then concludes that heroin, say, is roughly as addictive as chocolate. Given the considerable legal, social, and health incentives to quit using drugs, this hardly seems a reasonable conclusion. But it's interesting, and it's an argument no one else is making.

A larger problem with the analysis is that the case against prohibition is, to some extent, academic. Every country on earth prohibits drugs; if any country were to change that policy, it would become a worldwide drug factory, not to mention violate international law and trade agreements.

Nevertheless, Miron didn't set out to write a book about politics - he wrote a policy analysis, and while his lack of neutrality will surely bother some readers, his overall conclusions are sound. He knows that in many of his arguments, there is no clear answer. The point is that "prohibition has enormous costs with, at best, modest and speculative benefits.... The goals of prohibition are questionable, the methods unsound, and the results are deadly." Given the available evidence, this appears undeniable. What to do instead is a tougher question.
44 people found this helpful
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Michael J. Jaquish
5.0 out of 5 stars A FAILED WAR
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2009
This is a book that every American needs to read. Recreational drug use is a very poor choice because it destroys free will and prevents individuals from being well-adjusted, happy, functioning members of society. However, the American "War on Drugs" is a failed war that empowers criminals and creates far more problems than it solves. As controversial as the position of legalization of drugs is, it is the only solution to removing the motivation for criminals to remain committed to creating generations of illegal drug users who fund their criminal empires. -Michael Jaquish (A retired law enforcement officer) Tales of a Country Cop in AfricaThe Role of the Security Officer: A Comprehensive Instruction Manual of Safety and Security for the Security Profession in America
2 people found this helpful
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Bruce W. Cain
5.0 out of 5 stars Re-Legalize Now!
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2009
"Drug War Crimes" is spot on. And we, the American People, would be best served by Re-Legalizing Marijuana Right Now!

The MERP Model for Re-Legalization will destroy the Mexican Drug Cartels and much, much more. Please visit and post the following link far and wide. This subweb is both for understanding MERP and implementing MERP. We need everyones help on this. Get on the mailing list now! Let's Re-Legalize Marijuana in 2009 World Wide.

MERP Headquarters
The Marijuana Re-Legalization Policy Project (MRPP)
[...]
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Edouard
5.0 out of 5 stars Very insightfull economic analysis of drugs
Reviewed in France on November 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
Great read! The book is really well documented, always weighs in the pros and cons, with a bold conclusion. Must-read for anybody interested in the subject.
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