Citation

Greenfield VA, Paoli L. Int. J. Drug Policy 2017; 41: 162-163.

Affiliation

Faculty of Law, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.01.010

PMID

28257908

Abstract

Supply-side interventions, which we define as laws, regulations, enforcement activities, and other measures that extend from drug production to dealing, feature prominently in drug policy and related expenditures internationally, but have undergone relatively little rigorous, empirical evaluation. We argue for filling the knowledge gap and highlight three areas of particular concern: first, the policy community knows less than it should about the efficacy of supply-side interventions; second, it lacks sufficient understanding of the scope, magnitude, and practical implications of adverse consequences that accompany such interventions; third, it lacks tools to gauge the balance of benefits and costs, both monetary and non-monetary. Our interest has been in developing a harm-based approach to address these concerns and we put forward a "harm assessment framework" for that purpose.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Benefit–cost analysis; Drug markets; Drug policy; Harm; Supply control; Supply-side intervention