BOOK REVIEW

Book Review: Controversies in Drug Policy and Practice

Book Review: Controversies in Drug Policy and Practice

Introduction

This paper presents a book review “Controversies in Drug Policy and Practice” written by Neil McKeganey. In this book the author provides an excellent overview regarding the controversies surrounded around drug policy. McKeganey offers an interesting, sparkling and thought provoking review for drug policy makers and practitioners, and raised significant questions, along with statistics and facts to support his argument.

Discussion

The book “Controversies in Drug Policy and Practice” is undeniably integral and controversial at the same time as it offers reader a sound discussion about drugs and drug ban. However, sometimes superficial, the points presented by McKeganey rasied some significant questions that needed attention. The main focus of this book is on the most controversial problems, such as the politics of drug research and morality, the classification of cannabis, drug treatment and harm reduction.

All chapters are fused with huge collection of academic studies and statistical evidence that makes the discussion of chosen topic very interesting; whereas, maintaining comprehensive prohibitionist standpoint of the author, which supports the stance of drug reduction. Even though, not a single chapter in the book written in the form of fiction while offers fresh perspectives and insights on old discussion and debate of drugs.

McKeganey opens this book by highlighting the issues faced by today's modern world. He assesses the extent of the international drug trade, rapid increase in the consumption of legal highs and normalization framework presented by Parker. The author also takes account of the contemporary concept of Gladwellian regarding drug tipping points, as well as used to hypothesize that the risks caused by drug use is as risky and equivalent to climate change and global terrorism. The debate is grounded on a tentative increase In PDU (Problematic Drug Use) that is portrayed as social curse, which is also a threat to UK's economic and social stability. In this book, the author presented arguments and highlighted the most controversial issues faced by the United Kingdom, such as failure of UK in combating drug use, and the policy of prevention adopted by the UK over harm reduction, which, as a result, has demoralize and damage the efficacy of drug policy, prohibition, treatment and law enforcement.

The second chapter of this book focuses on harm reduction. With respect to the initial disbelief, this chapter was an outstanding addition. Other than some adversaries, there are only few who criticize the harm reduction, regardless there was a lack of facts and data that underpin few initiatives employed. This book also covers the harm reduction ambiguity, as well as the inequitable service quality; whereas, supports that the only mean for drug harm reduction or to reduce the consumption of drug. In this book, the author examines the usefulness of harm reduction on wrong basis, was it in reality the aim of needle exchange in order to discourage people from taking drugs or lessen intravenous use of ...