Publication

This paper first identifies five ways in which the 'war on drugs' has failed. It then describes how, over the past decade, different commissions have broken the taboo against debating alternative drug policies, and how the debates then provoked a paradigm shift from repressive law enforcement approaches to more preventive interventions. Finally, the paper provides examples of how some Latin American governments are experimenting with anti-drug legislation and regulatory models that are tailored to their local realities and needs.