Drug trade and human security

This chapter examines the complex security implications of the global illicit drugs market. Building on an analysis of the narcotics supply chain from production to consumption this chapter focuses on the implications of this trade for the economy, politics, corruption, criminal violence, and health. Through this empirical analysis, the chapter argues that standard security approaches, which concentrate on the projection of state power over territory, fail to account adequately for the nuanced effects that the narcotics trade has on political and social life. A human security approach that focuses on the effects of the drug trade on individuals and communities, rather than primarily on institutions and territory, offers a pathway to development of more effective public safety and broader security policies that address the needs of citizens and well as states.