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The Simple Analytics of Illicit Drug Policy
Author(s) -
Doessel D. P.,
Williams Ruth F. G.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
australian economic review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.308
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1467-8462
pISSN - 0004-9018
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8462.2008.00494.x
Subject(s) - harm , harm reduction , drug , public economics , minimisation (clinical trials) , law and economics , risk analysis (engineering) , actuarial science , political science , economics , business , medicine , public health , law , pharmacology , nursing , pathology
The impact of alternative drug policy objectives, specifically harm reduction/harm minimisation or prohibition, is unclear. The literature is confusing. This article conceptualises the causal connection between drug consumption and health harm (or reduced health status) then clarifies the implication of ‘drug related harm’. By applying some geometrical tools from economics, the choice of policy objective is analysed. The preferences of policy advocates are then incorporated. Policy advocates are conceived as arguing that decision‐makers and consumers should adopt their preferences between drugs and health harm. With this approach, the difference between alternative drug policies, in particular prohibition and harm minimisation/reduction, is demonstrated.