DRUG SMUGGLING

Drug Smuggling

Drug Smuggling

Introduction

Drug Trafficking is a global issue. The roots of American policies to control and regulate drugs date back to the mid-19th century. From the Civil War of 1861-1865 through the end of the century, the use and sale of opium, morphine, cocaine, and other psychoactive drugs were legal and quite common in the United States. (Mccoy, 2003) In addition to being prescribed by physicians for numerous health conditions, patent medicines containing opiates and other drugs were readily available without prescription. As this use spread, and concerns began to emerge about the dangers and negative effects of drug use, public sentiment and official policies began to shift. New laws were passed by the states and the federal government to place controls on the sale and use of drugs. In his important 1972 study of American drug policy, Edward Brecher described the wide availability of opium in the 19th century. DOCUMENT 1: Easy Availability of Opium (Brecher, 1972). In the 19th century] opium was on legal sale conveniently and at low prices, morphine came into common use during and after the Civil War. These opiates and countless pharmaceutical preparations containing them were as freely accessible as aspirin is today.

A bill (HR. 1555) that could influence the way U.S. companies do business with foreign partners has been approved by both houses of Congress and now awaits the president's signature. Introduced by Rep. Porter Goss (R-FL) with the objective of thwarting the movement of illegal drugs into the U.S., the bill would require that the government produce an annual report naming known international drug traffickers. Those on the list would be subject to a number of sanctions including seizure of all U.S. assets. Under the bill, a dealing with listed persons is prohibited. Anyone violating the measure would be subject to criminal and civil penalties.

The initial provision, which has now been included in an overall intelligence appropriations bill, was opposed by some members of Congress who considered the concept unfair. Under the original bill, innocent U.S. companies could be subject to penalties if their business partners were, unbeknownst to them, associated with persons listed by the U.S. government as involved in narcotics trafficking. (Mccoy, 2003)

To address the issue, lawmakers created a judicial review commission to examine key portions of the bill. One such question is whether innocent U.S. businesses are likely to face sanctions if their business partners are designated drug traffickers. To make this determination, the commission will study the ramifications of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which allows the president to sanction countries or groups that pose a threat to national security. When such sanctions are imposed, those U.S. companies doing business with the targeted nation or group are notified. The U.S. companies are warned and given time to sever ties and cease all transactions before additional penalties are levied. The use of this law, as well as a recent executive order that levies sanctions against Colombian drug traffickers, will he studied to determine how well ...