Evaluating the impact of Laws Regulating Illicit Drugs on Health and Society

Evaluating the impact of Laws Regulating Illicit Drugs on Health and Society serves as an informative reference for social science researchers and policymakers on the science behind drug regulation. The book presents contributions from many leading researchers in drug law and policy evaluation. The 12 chapters highlight scientific evidence from a diverse range of international projects on evaluation of different illicit drug laws. Each contribution takes policies into account while also using methodological tools and relevant data sets. For a priori evaluation, the modern leximetric approach is applied to compare different drug laws. For posterior evaluation the analysis of social and health outcomes, using standard and new indicators are presented, discussed and applied. Next, the book covers the use of drug market estimation methods in policy research. Specific new indicators allowing the evaluation of interventions such as harm reduction and prevention are presented and analysed using international research data. The book concludes with a summary of the links of illegal drug market gains with corruption, and its consequences. Evaluating the impact of Laws Regulating Illicit Drugs on Health and Society gives readers a unique, evidence-based perspective on the relationship between drugs, laws, policy and socioeconomic conditions. Key Features 1. Features 12 contributions from international experts on drug legislation and social science 2. Demonstrates evidence-based evaluation of drug laws and policies 3. Highlights Leximetric and forecast methods applied to illicit drug laws with examples 4. Highlights the use of standard and new socioeconomic indicators to evaluate drug laws and policies 5. Informs readers about different policy approaches to drug regulation and their consequences 6. Summarizes the links of illegal drug markets with corruption 7. Provides detailed references for further reading