Topic: Preventing the Smuggling of Illegal Drugs
Country: Canada
Delegate Name: Thomas Lunik
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Canada position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
Canada is attempting to increase its emphasis on the drug war with legislation passed in the middle of 2012. The Conservative party has led an attack on drug users and the drug industry, increasing the capacity for incarceration and drug task forces. Reasoning for this is to curb the spread of HIV and the dangerous cycle of drug users, which commonly contributes to theft and homicide, along with decreased economic productivity and increased healthcare costs. Taking this into consideration, the stance of Canada mostly aligns with every other country in the world: it is necessary to eradicate the smuggling of illegal drugs in order to erase the negative externalities of drug use along with the prevention of violent international crime. How Canada addresses this issue is also similar to other countries, mostly developed. In adding to the total amount of dollars and raw resources for the sole purpose of preventing the illegal import of drugs, Canada attempts to decrease the supply of illegal drugs in every country, in hopes of diminishing the effects of such a practice.
Over the past 20 years, most of the developed world has taken giant steps in reducing the amount of illegal drugs available to the general public, and Canada is no exception to such policies. The amount of citizens incarcerated due to drug related crimes has decreased sharply mostly since the implementation of strict drug laws, but also to the rehabilitation of drug users and drug dealers alike. Programs such as these are expensive though, and preventative measures deliver a much higher cost to benefit ratio in terms of real dollars. If drugs aren’t sold and demanded at such a high price, then the amount of drugs in a specific country will consequently decrease. Not only would such an event help tax payers of any given country, but would halt dangerous trade and smuggling of drugs internationally. A growth in methamphetamine and ecstasy production within Canada has no doubt led to a growing problem globally, but a certain number of traders only slightly contribute to a larger international crisis.
Canada is largely in favor of a global effort towards removing drug dealers and drug exporters from the street, no matter what the means are. This approach could be seen as futile, but the differences that could be made in a matter of at least a few months would be monumental, especially if there programs to also ease the withdrawal in users. Customs officials should be overseen by UN officials as corruption has often led to ineffective initiatives set forth by the ODC. Only oversight and a direct attack at the stem of the problem will be a solution to the overall problem that the global economy faces.
