Subject Area: Criminology

In Issues in Drug Policy (CRIM3024) you will take a multi-disciplinary approach in the examination of Australian and international drug laws and policies, drawing on a wide range of historical, socio-legal, political and criminological research. In part one you will focus on the historical process of criminalisation of drugs, with specific emphasis on the role played by the United States and the United Nations in the prohibition movement. In part two you will examine the consequences of drug prohibition with a focus on social justice issues. In part three you will examine harm reduction policies, law reform and alternative approaches to criminalisation. Main topics you will investigate throughout the course include: the history of Australian drug laws; criminalisation of drugs and the international prohibitionist regime; Australian drug offences; intersectionality of drug laws with other areas of law; issues of social justice concerning prisoners, public health, and drug addiction; and, alternatives to the criminal law for dealing with drug use and addiction.