Ending the War on Drugs

In the past nine years alone, more than 100,000 people have lost their lives to drug-war violence in Mexico. In 50 years, governments around the world have made it illegal to produce, sell, and possess certain drugs. Five decades later, illegal drug use is at an all-time high and $100 billion of government money around the globe is spent every year on drug-related criminal law enforcement and the so-called war on drugs. Drug prohibition laws have put the drug market into the hands of organized criminals, and seeking to alter opinion towards prohibition-focused drug laws and criminalization, bringing to light potential new policies and attitudes which will reduce organized crime, drug-related violence, and the supply and demand of illicit drugs. Harm reduction strategies are at the forefront of Global Commission on Drug Policy's agenda. And this collection of essays outlines key facts, debates, and perspectives on the war on drugs as a whole.