Are Barriers to Sustainable Development Endogenous to Drug Control Policies?

Abstract

This introductory article explains the rationale behind the 12th Thematic Issue of International Development Policy, which explores the tension between devel­opment and drug control goals, both current and historic. The volume of fifteen articles draws on a broad spectrum of thematic issues to address the following key questions: Are prohibition and development mutually exclusive or complementa­ry international agendas? How do the harms associated with drug policy enforce­ment undermine development prospects? The diverse group of authors highlight the corrosive effects of criminalisation and prohibition - based approaches on the livelihoods and fundamental rights of those who are vulnerable, including women, children, people who count on drug cultivation and trafficking to make a living, and people who use drugs. They also address the limitations and feasibility of development - focused interventions in drug control strategies within the context of the prohibition paradigm.