ABSTRACT
This chapter marks a watershed in the book. Up to this point, illicit drug use has been discussed in a narrow and somewhat parochial manner. The purpose of this chapter is to move the debate away from a British focus and alert the reader to the fact that the British ‘drug problem’ is only a small part of a global phenomenon. Moreover, this chapter also marks the beginnings of a change of direction in the manner in which drugs will be conceived. Here, illicit drugs will be stripped of any moral connotations and be viewed solely as an economic commodity, better to understand the impact illicit drugs have on both the global and domestic economic and political situation.
