Supply always comes on the heels of demand: What effects do control strategies have on drug users themselves?

摘要

Hughes & Winstock [1] helpfully overview how different European countries have used various systems other than criminal law to control the current rapid emergence of a myriad of substances which, for the want of a better term, are often called legal highs'. By going beyond simple but time-consuming criminal law, and instead using controls stemming from consumer safety or medicines legislation, this also avoids criminalization of young people. Other significant advantages of not invoking criminal law are that research on these substances is less hampered, it may be easier for problematic users to come forward for help and criminal gangs are not implicitly invited to trade in the banned substance.