Substances considered addictive: prohibition, harm reduction and risk reduction

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminology
• Sociology

Background:

• Latin America exhibits the world's highest homicide rates, largely driven by organized crime and drug trafficking.
• The illegality of certain substances, rooted in biomedical criteria, frames their production, sale, and consumption as health offenses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze existing drug policies: prohibition and harm reduction.
• To critically evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of both prohibitionist and harm reduction approaches.
• To propose a new policy framework for addressing drug-related issues.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of prohibitionist policies and their inherent contradictions.
• Examination of the limitations associated with harm reduction strategies.
• Conceptualization of a risk reduction policy framework.

Main Results:

• Prohibitionist policies demonstrate significant inconsistencies and their purported "failure" requires cautious interpretation.
• Harm reduction proposals, while valuable, have inherent limitations in addressing the multifaceted nature of the problem.
• Neither policy fully accounts for the complex interplay of factors contributing to drug-related harm.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive risk reduction policy is necessary, integrating individual behaviors with broader economic-political and cultural dimensions.
• Moving beyond a purely biomedical or criminal justice approach is crucial for effective drug policy.
• Addressing structural factors is essential for sustainable solutions to drug trafficking and associated violence.