U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Measurement and Analysis of Drug Problems and Drug Control Efforts
NCJ Number
              185544

Author(s)
          Jonathan P. Caulkins, Criminal Justice 2000, Volume 4: Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice
Date Published

January 2000
Length
              59 pages
Annotation
              This chapter is a progress report on the state of the
still-developing art of quantitative analysis of the
effectiveness of drug-control interventions.
Abstract
              Some limitations of existing data are first identified and
discussed. They include reliance on self-reports; the indirect
relationship between available indicators and the underlying
quantities of greatest interest; and an overemphasis on measures
of drug use at the expense of other factors, such as
externalities associated with drug-control efforts. Four
encouraging trends are the ongoing expansion of traditional data
systems, improving information about drug markets, greater
integration across data sources, and better data from other
countries. Although the relevant data are imperfect, they have
been adequate to support initial efforts to quantify the
effectiveness of a range of drug-control interventions. Which
interventions are most effective depends on what one defines as
the objective of drug control. Available evidence concerning one
objective, i.e., reducing the quantity of drugs consumed, is
reviewed and found to contain key insights but also to be lacking
in important respects. There is a need for better information
concerning interactions between various drugs and drug markets,
interactions with other domains of social policy, how
interventions' effectiveness varies over the course of a drug
epidemic, and how epidemics emerge and how they can be controlled
in their early stages. These limitations are best viewed as a
challenge, not as an excuse for basing policy on less formal or
ad hoc syntheses of the literature. Drug policy is not alone in
demanding creativity in the adaptation and application of
quantitative analysis to evaluate effectiveness. Other policy
domains in which benefit-cost or cost-effectiveness analysis is
now accepted went through a similar formative stage. 3 exhibits,
19 notes, and 163 references
      
  
          Additional Details
Agencies
        NIJ
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2000
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Publication/report
        Costs/benefits
        Statistics
        Substance abuse indicators
        Controlled substances



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Transitioning surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) into the forensic drug chemistry and toxicology laboratory: Current and future perspectives
                  Differentiation of Structurally Similar Phenethylamines via Gas Chromatography-Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (GC-VUV)
                  The Role of Diode Array Ultraviolet Detection for the Identification of Synthetic Cathinones
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov