Good Essay About Criminal Law:

Discussion Question

Effectiveness of Anti-Drug Initiatives
Discussion question:
Discuss which of the international conventions has had the most impact in addressing the drug problem. Use supplied material or other reputable sources to justify your position

Write a respond for this discussion:

While the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances made it so that psychotropic substances should be used for medicinal and scientific purposes only and not for trafficking purposes, the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances has had the most impact in addressing the drug problem. Because of the latter convention, countries became obligated to apply criminal sanctions on any and all aspects of possession, trafficking, or production of illegal drugs. Applying the punishment aspect to the situation is addressing the problem rather than advising that there is a problem and leaving it at that. The 1988 treaty was an escalation of the others which is also why it has had the most impact up to this point.

Discussion:

The global drug abuse problems escalated during the middle of the 1980’s. This was especially true of the opium production in Asia and the cocaine production in the Latin American countries. This was the context of the birth of the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. This Convention successfully extended the controls to the whole illicit drug market chain, from the precursors to the anti-money laundering measures. It reinforced all the other existing laws and conventions tackling drug abuse. It also required the member states to co-operate and to co-ordinate their efforts in preventing global drug trafficking.
Under the Single Convention, the UN member states are required to make trafficking in drugs as “punishable offences,” Art. 3 of the 1988 Convention reached further up to make these offenses as “criminal offenses.” This includes the possession, purchase or cultivation of drugs for personal consumption. Nonetheless, the member states are allowed to provide options for punishment (such as treatment, education or rehabilitation) for minor cases. Likewise, the member states are invoked to introduce local legislation to prevent drug related money-laundering. While money-laundering was already a punishable offence under the Single Convention, the provisions of the 1988 Convention strengthened it.

Response:

It is indeed true that the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances strengthened the resolve of the international community to fight the global drug abuse problems. For one, it invoked the members of the UN to make local laws penalizing drug abuse and trafficking. Second, it also reinforced that the offenses relating to drugs are considered criminal offenses. This is a very strong penalty for drug abusers and traffickers around the world.