Handbook of Research on the Illicit Drug Traffic: Socioeconomic and Political Consequences

?Written in cooperation with the UN Research Institute for Social Development, this book is a scholarly survey of a controversial subject in the context of its socioeconomic and political significance. In the first half of the work, Tullis reviews the published literature on the production and consumption of illicit drugs in three parts: first, the global patterns of the creation, manufacture, and use of cannabis, cocaine, and heroin; second, demand, and the positive and negative consequences, including the rise of organized traffickers and counteracting steps; third, activities designed to reduce criminality, demand, the spread of AIDS, and the supply. Each chapter is followed by a lengthy section of notes and cross-references to further information sources. In the final, summary chapter, Tullis concludes that the drug war outcome is uncertain because of the complexity of the only two solutions: the decline of demand, and the rebuilding of producer countries' economies. The second half of the handbook is a descriptively annotated bibliography of drug and drug-related literature. It consists of articles, books, and government reports arranged alphabetically by author. Although a few are in Spanish, the majority are in English, and most were published in the 1980s. One index serves both literature review and bibliography, distinguishing bibliography item numbers from page numbers with a caret. There are numerous flow charts, e.g., "How Traffickers Facilitate Their Work," and tables, e.g., "Comparative Law Enforcement Policies." The book was written for law enforcement officials, judges, legislators, policymakers, social workers, students, and teachers. In an academic setting, it willbest serve upper-level and graduate social science researchers.?-Choice