Review Of Chapter 3 Of Peaceful Measures

– Canada’s Way Out Of The Drug Wars Essay, Research Paper

In his book Peaceful Measures: Canada’s Way Out of the ‘War on Drugs’ Alexander (1990) argues that for over a century, drug-control policy around the world and in Canada have been growing increasingly warlike. The costs of this drug war, in both money and human suffering, have been steadily increasing, although its objectives have not been met. Alexander cites extensive research that indicates that illegal drugs are no more harmful or addictive than legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco, and no more likely to cause anybody to go out of control. Opium sticks, for example, used to be sold at corner shops in England in the nineteenth century, without addiction becoming an overwhelming problem. Legal regulation and controlled distribution of drugs, similar policies adopted in Holland, or the methadone maintenance programs provided for some addicts in England, seem more likely to be successful in undermining the harm caused by criminal drug rings, than the prosecution of users (Hale, 1995). Alexander argues that the war on drugs continues because it meets other psychological and social needs that have little to do with the use of drugs as such. People live in a real world characterized by violence that is perpetuated by criminals, disappointed lovers, soldiers, guerillas, religious fanatics, reckless drivers, police, parents, spouses, and so on, and they face the threat of environmental pollution on a massive scale from nuclear waste, industrial chemicals, sewage, oil spills and so forth. Illegal drugs act as an excuse, and provide a scapegoat–something concrete to blame, and around which members of a society can mobilize their emotions and feel some sense of cohesion. The intensification of moral panic around drugs, like the 17th century crusade against “unruly” Puritans, helps to reinforce a sense of social cohesion and order in the face of divisible forces (Hale, 1995). Alexander’s book, specifically Chapter 3, will be reviewed and analyzed, and how the work fits within the one of the four sociological paradigms, as well as the validity of his evidence and research will be discussed.

From the brief introduction about Alexander’s above, one already senses a Durkheimian flavour in his work. However, Alexander does not emphasize the structural system as being the root cause of the drug-related problems. On closer examination, Alexander’s view is more interpretive in nature, and his work closely fits the logic of the social constructionists. In social constructionist theory, illegal drug use, or crime in general, is not viewed as an entity, rather it emerges through the accounting processes, as the outcome of decisions about how to categorize experience. This perspective focuses attention on discourse, the common system of interpretation, through which crime comes to be defined and recognized. The work of professionals in the criminal justice system involves making interpretations and transforming this discourse into the organized practices of control and management of crime. These interpretive transformative practices constitute the site of ongoing struggle(Hale, 1995).

One of the major issues addressed in Alexander’s book is whether or not a War on Drugs really exists. He says that the “War on Drugs” is really like a war in many way. The extent of global involvement cannot be assessed simply by counting bodies, although there has been much violence, but is best measured in terms of other wartime tactics: propaganda, spying, abrogation of normal peace-time rights, centralized authority, outrageously controlled spending, and so forth. Alexander is careful to note that exercising normal social and legal control in support of community standards on drug use is not part of the War on Drugs. However, he says that “attempts to create a ‘drug-free’ nation or world, to exercise ‘zero tolerance’, and to achieve desired standards of behavior through violent repression domestically and in the Third World are more like war measures than normal social control.” (Alexander, 1990) Alexander tries to show that the War on Drugs has failed to control he social problem that instigated it, failed to deter drug use, all the while creating serious new problems in the process.

Constructionist theory is especially valuable in understanding morality crimes, those often referred to as victimless crimes. These are transactional crimes where the persons are exchanging illicit goods or services do not see themselves as either victims or criminals. Such offences include almost all sexual behaviour like prostitution, and the purchase of illicit drugs, and illegal gambling. (Hale, 1995) The roots of social constructionist theories of crime can be traced to Emile Durkheim’s observation that crime is a natural social activity even in healthy societies. Crime is behaviour which violates the conscience collective or the shared beliefs and sentiments of the community. Crime is functional, and perhaps even essential for a society, because in their collective reaction to it people are drawn together to reaffirm their values and social cohesion. (Hale, 1995) The Puritans, for example, who settled in Massachusetts in the 1630s, created an extraordinarily strict and law-abiding community. The labelled many activities that were commonplace (dancing, card playing) as deviant for people like themselves. In doing so, they drew symbolic brackets aro