Drug traffic is the production, transportation, dealing (sale), and purchase of drugs that are forbidden by local, national, or international laws. It is a major problem throughout the world. Most countries have enacted laws to combat drug trafficking, because of the serious consequences that illegal drug use creates for individuals and society. Still, trafficking in millions of tons of illegal drugs worth billions of dollars continues worldwide each year.
Types of illegal drugs.
Many types of drugs are bought and sold illegally. Some of the most common are marijuana (the dried leaves and flowering tops of the cannabis plant); cocaine, made from the leaves of the coca shrub; heroin, made from morphine, a chemical extracted from opium poppy plants; and methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is one of a group of synthetic (artificially manufactured) drugs called amphetamines.
In the 2000’s, traffic in other types of synthetic drugs called new psychoactive substances (NPS’s) increased. NPS’s mimic different types of drugs, including stimulants, opioids, and sedatives. Stimulants increase alertness and energy. Opioids create insensitivity to pain. Sedatives ease anxiety and produce sleep.
Two well-known NPS’s are synthetic marijuana, commonly known as “spice” or “K2,” and ketamine. Manufacturers often slightly modify the structure of an existing substance to create a new drug. Such an NPS, called a designer drug , produces effects similar to that of the original substance but has not yet been targeted by drug enforcement agencies. Manufacturers may also try to work around regulations by claiming that a product containing a designer drug is intended for some other use, for example as incense or bath salts.
It is also illegal for individuals to buy prescription opioids (drugs made from or containing opium) that have not been prescribed for them, or to sell their opioid medications to others. Physicians often prescribe opioids, which include codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone, to patients to relieve severe pain.
Drug producers and drug markets.
Large networks of people are involved in the illegal drug trade. Such networks are called drug trafficking organizations or drug cartels. They make money by moving illegal drugs from producers to buyers. This often involves transporting drugs between different countries, and even continents. Marijuana is cultivated in many countries, including some in North America and Europe. Countries in South America produce much of the world’s cocaine.
During the 1980’s, Pablo Escobar was the leader of the Colombian Medellín cartel, one of the most profitable and powerful cocaine trafficking empires in the world. Colombian authorities shot and killed Escobar in 1993. In the early 2010’s, the U.S. Treasury Department considered Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the head of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel, “the world’s most powerful drug trafficker.” In the late 2010’s, Guzmán was captured, convicted of drug trafficking and other crimes, and sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison. Both Escobar and Guzmán used some of their drug profits to fund education and medical care for the poor in their home countries, making them heroes in the eyes of some people.
In some less industrialized or agricultural societies, cultural and social uses of particular drugs may be part of a society’s history. In some countries, illegal drug harvesting may contribute to the national economy and provide an important source of income for ordinary workers. For example, in the late 1900’s, Afghanistan became one of the world’s leading producers of opium, from which the drug heroin is made. Farmers grew opium poppies because the crop was more profitable than wheat. Similarly, impoverished farmers in Mexico and Colombia grow opium poppies for heroin.
The synthetic drug methamphetamine and NPS’s can be manufactured anywhere in the world. Many producers of these drugs sell them locally. Nevertheless, much of the methamphetamine on the world market comes from East and Southeast Asia.
Drug trafficking and the law.
The violation of laws against drug smuggling and drug dealing generally carries harsh punishment in many countries. Such punishment may include the death penalty in some countries, mostly in Asia and the Middle East. However, few countries routinely execute drug offenders for their crimes.
In the United States—one of the largest markets for drug trafficking—Congress has passed a number of laws at the federal level to stop the flow of illegal drugs. One such law, the Controlled Substances Act, passed in 1970, made it illegal to produce, sell, and use drugs that have no medical use or that are subject to misuse. The law also regulated the manufacture and distribution of such drugs as narcotics, hallucinogens, depressants, and stimulants.
Another U.S. drug law, the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, made it illegal to possess, use, or distribute many of the chemicals used to make synthetic drugs. A number of U.S. states have passed laws banning or controlling the use of synthetic drugs.
Penalties for drug dealing in the United States include fines and imprisonment usually ranging from one year to life. The penalty depends on the type and amount of illegal drugs involved, the severity of any crime committed during the trafficking, a person’s previous criminal history, and other factors.
In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to legalize the medical use of marijuana. Since then, many other states have legalized medical marijuana. In addition, some states have legalized the possession of small quantities of marijuana for recreational use.
In 1973, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), an agency of the U.S Department of Justice. The DEA fights drug trafficking globally. It enforces laws against illegal and dangerous drugs in the United States and also works with other nations to combat drug trafficking and misuse.
In Canada, drug trafficking is a criminal offense punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. Penalties can range from a few months’ imprisonment to life imprisonment, depending on the dangerousness and amount of the trafficked drug, other crimes committed in the process of trafficking, and other factors.
In Australia, trafficking in illegal drugs carries severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment from 10 years to life. Australian drug laws fall under the jurisdiction of each state or territory. In all of the states, anyone who does not have a valid reason for possessing drugs is guilty of an offense. However, the quantity of drugs required for prosecution varies by state.
Other anti-drug laws include international laws that are governed by treaties or conventions (agreements) between nations. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) publishes detailed reports on the scope of drug use throughout the world.
