Research project to reveal structure of drugs market

The two-year endeavour will examine how the drugs market operates in four locations — from urban to rural.

The research will assess to what extent law enforcement efforts — including drug seizures and arrests — actually affect the local drugs markets.

The state-funded project follows the publication of a report in Britain last week that found, despite a doubling in drugs seizures and the injection of resources into combating drug gangs, drug use had increased and drug prices had fallen.

“We are developing a large research project that will roll out over the next two years, which will look at the structure of illicit drug markets,” said Johnny Connolly of the Health Research Board and lead researcher of the project.

“We are focusing on four locations throughout the country and will look at the impact of the market on different types of location: suburban, inner city, more rural towns and so on. We will look at the responses that are there already and what would be more effective responses.”

The project, funded by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs, is due to start in September. Mr Connolly said multiple sources of information — including law enforcement, local communities and focus groups — would be used.

He said they would carry out a detailed analysis of some existing data sources, such as drug seizures: “We will look at the size of drug seizures, the location of them, their purity, the levels of purity for different types of drugs at different levels of the market. We will interview people, talk to police about how the market is structured in their area. That sort of information will give us a better sense of how you can react to a market.

“For example, traditional law enforcement approaches, which focus on supply control, are only limited in the effect they can have given the scale of the availability and given the adaptability of drug markets. The scale of the profits that can be made means they can respond and adapt very quickly. What you need to understand are what are the most sustainable responses that you can make.”

He said we did not know what impact Garda enforcement efforts were having.

He said the research published by the UK Drug Policy Commission was relevant to Ireland as the two markets were interlinked.

He said his research should be of benefit to the partnership structures here, such as the local policing in some drug taskforce areas and the joint policing committees.

What British study uncovered

THE British study found despite significant drug and asset seizures and drug-related convictions in recent years, drug markets were “extremely resilient”.

The report, carried out by the UK Drug Policy Commission, said drug markets adapted effectively to government and law enforcement interventions.

“For example, by altering purity levels traffickers and dealers are able to increase their profit margins to alleviate the effects of increased seizures and/or enforcement action.”

The report said it appeared law enforcement efforts “have had little adverse effect on the availability of drugs” in Britain.

But it said some operations can work: “Recent reviews indicate geographically targeted problem-orientated policing interventions aimed at drug hotspots and involving partnerships between the police and wider community groups appear to be more effective at reducing problems to the drug market than conventional law enforcement-only approaches.”

The report noted that a 2003 British cabinet office analysis suggested sustained seizure rates of 60% to 80% would be required to put major traffickers out of business. It said seizures on this scale have never been achieved.

Source: The Irish Examiner, 05/08/2008