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The International Drugs Trade in World Politics: An Overview Eradicating the Drugs Trade? Policies and Solutions

The International Drugs Trade in World Politics: An Overview Eradicating the Drugs Trade? Policies and Solutions The International Drugs Trade in World Politics An Overview A New Issue or Not? Anglo-Chinese War 1839-1842 – more commonly known as the Opium War

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The International Drugs Trade in World Politics: An Overview Eradicating the Drugs Trade? Policies and Solutions

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  1. The International Drugs Trade in World Politics: An Overview • Eradicating the Drugs Trade? Policies and Solutions

  2. The International Drugs Trade in World Politics An Overview

  3. A New Issue or Not? • Anglo-Chinese War 1839-1842 – more commonly known as the Opium War • Various issues involved but main one was the UK flooding Chinese market with Indian Opium

  4. A New Issue or Not? • November 1839 – Chinese junks try to stop UK vessels approaching Chinese harbours • 1842 Treaty of Nanking

  5. A New Issue or Not? • 1960s –counterculture in California but particularly in San Francisco • 1970s the big issue in US was cocaine

  6. Size/Scale of the Drugs Industry • Estimates put worth at $400b a year – equivelevent of world tourist industry • Many jobs involved in drugs industry and not just clandestine ones – also farmers/bankers/shop owners etc • Profits – in year 2000 1kg of opium worth $50 in Afghanistan but 2000 times this in London

  7. Why Are Drugs Produced Where They Are? • Geography/Geology Vital • Require a region that has warm temperatures and soil full of nutrients –Latin America/Afghanistan/Burma etc

  8. Surely this type of soil good for legal crops?

  9. Yes but much more money can be made from growing coca than legal crops • Mono-economies – Bolivia 1964 & world tin price • Debt crisis • Globalisation

  10. Colombia Ideally located: • (1) between growing region and the US • (2)Atlantic/Pacific coastlines • (3) forest region – good for hiding labs/private airfields • (4) traditionally been difficult to govern since La Violencia Traditional role of coca in Andean Societies

  11. Geography Mexico • (1) massive border with the US • (2) North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) • Caribbean are transit countries –Jamaica/Haiti/Puerto Rico

  12. Geography Afghanistan • Weak border controls especially since the end of the Cold War – route into former Soviet Republics then Russia and then into Europe

  13. History of Drugs Industry • 1960s -Original Transportation carried out by Cuban gangsters • 1970s and this changing – Colombian taking over both production & supply

  14. Colombia • Entrepreneurial spirit • Large Colombian community in the US • “open window” policy by banks • Saw drugs problem as a “gringo problem”

  15. Colombia • Medellin & Cali cartels to the fore • Medellin – 1/2hour flight from Bogota but 8 hours by road • Supplied 80% of cocaine to North America in the 1980s

  16. Pablo Escobar • Most famous/”infamous” • Flamboyant/violent – nouveux riche • Seen as Robin Hood Figure • 1984 offered to pay national debt ($12b) in return for amnesty

  17. Affects of Drugs Trade on Producer Countries • Pushes prices/inflation up • No taxes • Money spent on policing and not education/health • Violence discourages foreign investment • Own Internal market created – busaco • Boom towns – real estate – clothes/cars

  18. Affects of Drugs Trade on Producer Countries Conversely can offset world economic problems & effects of globalisation – Colombia

  19. Affects of Drugs Trade on Consumer Countries • 1988 6.6m US citizens using drugs once a week and 66m tried drugs – Bill Clinton • Rise in crime • Health problems • Money being spent on this and not other things • Subculture • In 2000 22,300 drug offenders in New York City • 800 UK citizens in jails abroad for drug smuggling

  20. Conclusions • Worldwide problem and not just 1 or 2 countries • Massive amounts of money involved • Geography vital • Poverty/globalisation – debt crisis • Massive affects on producer/transit/consumer countries

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