Eurodrugs

This book is intended for academics, postgraduates and undergraduates in criminology, social policy, social work, European studies as well as professional interest groups including social workers and a range of public/voluntary sector agencies. This study of illicit drug use, markets and trafficking provides an essential overview of recent and current developments in western and eastern Europe. It is the first book to offer a genuinely international and comparative perspective on trends in epidemiology, crime and policy in relation to drug use, and it presents detailed case studies of drug markets. The case studies of the cities of London and Turin offer fascinating contrasts and intriguing similarities. They examine the development of local markets, differing patterns of involvement of organized crime groups, the blurring of boundaries between illegal drug-crime enterprises and legal businesses, and the reproduction in the drug economy of racism and an exploitative division of labour. The authors describe and analyze changes in youth cultures, political ideas and social change, and the consequences of policy developments across Europe. Crucially, they view drugs as commodities within a hugely profitable, dynamic and expanding illicit economy. Their analysis of drug-related economic activity makes this book a major contribution to criminology generally and the study of drug issues in particular.