LE3 .A278 2013

2013

Brickner, Rachel

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Politics

Politics

The War on Drugs as a whole has been an astounding failure. Despite millions of dollars invested every year, the war has done little to curb the spread of drug use. This thesis aims to first show how the war has failed and then to illuminate the reasons for this failure. It argues that poor policy choices made by states in combatting drug trafficking stem from a misguided analysis of the illicit drug trade. A deeper analysis looks at the historical realities that gave birth to the drug trade and the socio-economic motivations of those who actively take part in the trade. In this vein the thesis explores the cases of drug trafficking in Colombia and Mexico. Through these cases it is argued that better policy measures will look toward increasing social welfare and economic opportunities at the local level in order to undermine the drug industry.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:997