ABSTRACT
Illicit drug production, trafficking, and consumption are growing and spreading at an alarming rate. What has been long labeled the "American disease" is now a global epidemic. Pinning down a universally accepted meaning of crisis is an elusive exercise. By the late 1980s, however, three important developments converged to transform the global drug market. US drug use survey data in the mid-1980s indicate that after years of significant rise, casual consumption of cocaine, particularly among middle-class and upper-middle-class Americans, began to level off. Similarly, heroin consumption in western Europe began to stabilize if not decline in certain areas. Since the major markets for drugs have traditionally been at some distance from production areas, linking suppliers with consumers presents a significant logistical challenge. Access to drugs is also increasing with production soaring and traffickers aggressively marketing drugs throughout the global community.
