The “War on Drugs” and Its Effects on Forensic Science
by Moderator on Jun.25, 2010, under Topics for discussion
A recent government report excoriates the multidecade U.S. “war on drugs.” The report claims that the effort has been ineffective to date and cites current demand for illicit drugs, thought to be the highest ever. President Obama has called for more effort to be expended on prevention and cure, treating addiction more like a disease than a crime. The war on drugs has had profound effects on forensic science; money has been provided for lab expansions, more instrumentation, and more personnel. What effects would a change in strategy towards prevention and treatment have on forensic science labs?
July 5th, 2010 on 8:51 am
I suggest that even a strategy change will not be a total “either/ or” approach. Prevention is certainly an attractive option but are we to assume that no controlled Drugs are to be analysed in the event of a prevention program? – I think not. Unless drugs are legalised I think we are likely to see a continued interest in analyses.
The interest our Government has in the increased sale of “legal highs” are having an impact on our capacity. In an attempt to contain the problem a number of new substances have been classified as controlled Drugs and we are receiving new compounds on a weekly basis.
I believe there will continue to be suffieicent work for Drug analysts for some time to come.