On June 19, 2008, WOLA Senior Associate John_Walsh testified before Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress (chaired by Senator Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia) on U.S. drug policy.
These two briefings focus on the current domestic and international debates regarding the Bolivian government's defence of the indigenous practice of coca chewing.
This article describes approaches to improve the situation regarding particular target groups, such as drug users, sex workers, (undocumented) migrants and youth at risk.
This latest report in the Beckley series looks at the operation of middle-level drug dealers, and how their behaviour is influenced by the activities of the law enforcement agencies.
This report includes a wide range of examples in which human rights standards and norms are infringed as a result of state activities pursued in the name of drug control. This clearly demonstrates the need for close attention to this issue within the UN system.
In 2004, the Beckley Foundation reported on the legal changes that took place in Portugal in 2001, which effectively decriminalised the possession and use of all drugs, and diverted those arrested into education or treatment programmes (Allen, Trace, & Klein, 2004). This report aims to provide an updated overview of the effects of these changes, using data from the evaluations that have been carried out and from new interviews with key stakeholders in Portugal.
The authors of this book come from abroad variety of professional and geographical backgrounds. they examine barriers to health and social services - and ways to overcome them - in their respective working environments. The diversity of contributions produces rich information and provides an overview of emerging issues and approaches related to migration in different European regions.
In this joint WOLA-BFDPP policy brief, the authors provide an overview of current and past drug policies implemented by the Mexican government, with a focus on its law enforcement efforts.
New Zealand Drug Foundation (Te Tuapapa Tarukino o Aotearoa) Policy Position, August 2007This paper presents the New Zealand Drug Foundation's policy position on reducing alcohol and other drugs (AOD) problems in New Zealand's criminal justice system.
TNI Drug Policy Briefing No. 24, September 2007The report points out that the main policy instruments aiming to tackle opium production in Afghanistan - eradication of opium poppy fields and implementing alternative livelihoods projects - are missing their targets.