Running head: INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING 1

INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING 7

International Drug Trafficking

GEN 499: General Education Capstone

July 12, 2020

International Drug Trafficking

Introduction

Arguably, globalization has transformed the world in the last forty years resulting in increased spread of an idea, opening up of free markets and technology across borders. The lines of trade and communication have eased between the rich and developing countries of the world, and everyone in between. In essence, we are all connected: we all affect one another. However, beneath this sanguine exterior of globalization lies a dark bloody and illicit underworld world of drug trafficking. In particular, drug trafficking is one of the most substantial money earners with a retail value estimated at 500 billion US dollar a year, now exceeding the value of the international trade in oil and arms trade (UNRISD,1994). The most troublesome stage of the global drug trafficking is the trafficking menace which has been facilitated by globalization and the development of international trade. In particular, thousands of kilograms cross international boundaries through a sophisticated mechanism, leaving the hand of violent drug barons and into the lives of drug addicts and traffickers. The consumption of illicit drugs not only has serious physical, social and economic consequences for the individual consumer but also affects the entire society, and ultimately funds massive criminal systems. Thus, drug trafficking is a global societal problem that cannot be thwarted due to its popularity and the changes in the macro-economic environment, hence, undermining the global economy. Government and respective stakeholder ought to rethink the universal legalization strategy since it's the primary way to destabilize the global market and put an end to drug trafficking. Comment by Allega, Amanda: Comma after social Comment by Allega, Amanda: Comma after strategy

Background on Drug Trafficking

The supply and demand aspect of free markets has significantly contributed to the growth of drug trafficking channels. The most typical incentive in the drug trafficking market is the money in servicing the consumer demands a contributing factor such as public corruption, the nature of political power and the impact of economic policies. Illicit drugs tend to originate from less developed areas to more developed countries (Rivera, Casal, & Currais, 2017). The growth of legitimate business due to globalization has resulted in subsequent globalization of the financial system and market relations. Besides, the evolution in technology has occurred to the adoption of complicated computer systems that are used in hiding company secrets and subsequent transactions. In light of this, the origin of drug trafficking is attributed to poverty and lack of alternative income generation activities. Comment by Allega, Amanda: This sentence is a little wordy, making it difficult to understand. Consider revision for clarity and conciseness. Please use this as a reference for how to fix this: https://writingcenter.ashford.edu/writing-clearly-concisely

The vulnerability of the most impoverished nation that engages in drug production for medicinal to increase the risk factors in engaging in criminal and illegal activities. The political instability and poor governmental policies have further resulted in the growth and expansion of drug trafficking networks. Thus, the drug trafficking menace is a societal problem due to the broad spread impact on all aspects of the economy and the basic fabric of the society; the family. According to Rivera, Casal & Currais (2017), the order of magnitude of the extent of drug trafficking ought to establish concerning the drug characteristics. Firstly, the majority of the illicit drugs commonly trafficked are addictive, a fact that blurs the line between use and abuse and between addiction and addiction. One of the significant indicators of the trafficking problem from an economic perspective is the estimates of the turnover of the global drug trafficking industry. Comment by Allega, Amanda: medicinal purposes Comment by Allega, Amanda: These two sentences are wordy. Consider revision for conciseness.

Drug abuse has a significant cost implication, even though the cost tends to differ from country to country. In Canada, the cost of drug abuse was calculated at 2.7percent of the GDP, while illicit drug abuse accounting at least 1.1 US dollars. Equally, an investigation by the European community found that the identifiable cost of drug trafficking and exploitation amounted to $3.2 billion in the United Kingdom. From an economical cost point of view, drug trafficking hurts the economy of the global nation. Concerning human resource productivity, increased drug trafficking results in drug abuse among the most productive members of the society rendering them redundant. Specific work impairment is associated with drug abuse, while the increased violence and death associated with drug trafficking cartels negatively affect global peace and harmony. Thus, the problem of drug trafficking not only affect a single nation, but due to the interconnectedness and globalization, the global economic stability and peace are significantly changed (Gunvanti, 2015). Thus, to eradicate the problem of drug traffic and the subsequent violence associated with the black market resistant, it necessary to adopt the legalization strategy. Comment by Allega, Amanda: spacing Comment by Allega, Amanda: Comma after society Comment by Allega, Amanda: affects

The solution to Drug Trafficking

The global nature of the drug trafficking problem makes it difficult to curb the menace through local legislation. In particular, neither does country-specific action nor law tend to be effective in breaking the black market of illicit drugs. As Burger, (2002) point out; the declaration of "war on drugs" in the US by President Richard Nixon was an epic failure. The president, foreign policy sough, to eradicate and prevent illegal drugs, wherever cultivated, proceeds and imported. Almost forty year, the drug industry has significantly expanded and flourished due to poor policies implementation and strategies. Similarly, the United Nation Convention against illicit trafficking resulted in the establishment of a framework upon which member states could use to combat trafficking through increased cooperation with various authorities. Equally, the strategy failed because it was merely a framework hence the shortcoming in curbing drug trafficking menace. Comment by Allega, Amanda: Use the full term in academic writing Comment by Allega, Amanda: Do you mean after forty years? Comment by Allega, Amanda: Comma after framework

Concerning the after-mentioned failure due to policy implementation, the most viable solution to the drug trafficking menace is through global legalization. In particular, by focusing on the consumer, in theory, it is assumed they the demand will drop, resulting in disruption of the market. On the other hand, focusing on the suppliers and trafficker, it is assumed that the illicit market will be short of supply and fall apart (Jenner, 2011). On the contrary, as a result of addiction and the lucrative nature of the business, the supply and demand aspect will never be affected. However, the universals legalization provide a viable solution due to the fact it reverted trends and take out the profitability in the drug industry outing an end to drug trafficking and the subsequent implication associated with it.

According to Zarhin, Negev, Vulfsons & Sznitman (2018)., the universal legalizations entails the legalizing every aspect of the drug trafficking chain from production to consumption worldwide. Legalization will result in the creation of legitimate markets for drugs allowing for proper conflict resolution and attraction of commendable market players. Jenner (2011) asserts that legalization is justifiable because the individual right is upheld since the consumer is given the right to control their own lives and bodies. Besides, the universal legalization of drugs will result in the disruption of the carte driven monopoly. If a drug is legalized, the supply curve will be flattened becoming more elastic due to the omission of the barrier of entry into the drugs markets. Unlike previous policies, the universal legalization tends to affect all aspect of stakeholder involved in the drug trade. Comment by Allega, Amanda: Just a comma is fine here Comment by Allega, Amanda: This part of the sentence is a little confusing to follow. Consider revision.

The legalization of Marijuana provides empirical evidence on the viability of the Universal drug legalization approach. Studies by Yu, Chen, Chen, & Yan, (2020) utilize the age period cohort modelling (APAC) model to examine trends in marijuana use among youth in the US. Result finding indicated that the prevalence of current marijuana use from 1979 to 2016 showed a "V" shaped pattern. The rate shifted from 27.57% in 1979 and declined to 8.02% in 1992 and increased gradually in 2016. This trend corresponds to the period of the most robust legal action in the US. The declining trend in 2006 is as a result of the legalization of Marijuana. The limitations of this study are attributed to data collection methodology that utilized the household survey, which is subject to under-reporting. Thus, there is a need for further studies to verify the association between specific laws/regulation as the risk of marijuana use. Comment by Allega, Amanda: Lower case m Comment by Allega, Amanda: Use the full term. Please check for this throughout the remainder of your paper. Comment by Allega, Amanda: laws and regulations

Ethical Outcome from the Universal Legalization of Drugs

The universal legalization of drugs has potentially positive and ethical and moral outcomes. To begin, the ethical issue concerning the Unitarianism theory is that the legalization of illicit drugs is wholly justified in the sense that it produces the greater good for the consumer. In particular, the prohibition of drug use has more ethical concern in terms of violation of individual rights compared to the legalization concepts. The utilitarianism theory postulates that a person is allowed to commit any action as long as they do not result in harm and pain. In this regards, the work is morally right or wrong respective of its consequences. The resultant ethical implication is that individuals are given the right, which is not a legal right but rather a moral right to take action that they deem right as long as they do not harm others. Through the drug legalization framework, the ethical implication of an individual action will be determined by their action rather than governmental restriction such as drug prohibition that has a negative consequence concerning ethics. Comment by Allega, Amanda: Omit this word (not needed) Comment by Allega, Amanda: Comma after action

Also, universal drug legalization has a negative ethical implication. In essence, it Is unethical to use illicit drugs concerning the ethics of obedience to the law. In particular, the legalization of drugs will thus result in the promotion of unethical production and contravenes the harm reduction approach (Zhengbo, 2020). In essence, individual have straight moral implication to avoid the use of consumer product that is produced in an unnecessarily dangerous and exploitative way. An ethically produced product might be expensive but cost-effective and do not justify the harm producers go through. Equally, the production process of drugs Is unethical. At the same time, the supply chain is characterized by violence and murder, thus promoting such vices is unethical and has the farfetched implication that causes more significant harm in larger populations. Besides, the other ethical concern will destroy the moral fabric that calls for decency and an improved sense of self-control. Comment by Allega, Amanda: Omit this word Comment by Allega, Amanda: lower case i Comment by Allega, Amanda: as

The decision making of an individual in society varies greatly as much as it might be easier for adults to make choices for the greater good. Drug legalization has potential implication to affect the youth in the society who have limited capability to distinguish right from wrong. In this case, the moral consequence of the universal legalization is the subsequently increased risk factor to the vulnerable groups such as youth (Zhengbo, 2020). On the other hand, the positive outcome of the moral implication is that individual right is respected compared to the prohibition laws that hinder a personal moral right to body and substance use. Thus, from a societal point of view, legalization of illicit drug has positive impact compared to the prohibition of drugs. Comment by Allega, Amanda: This sentence is difficult to understand. Consider revision. Comment by Allega, Amanda: drugs

Conclusion

Drug trafficking is a violent industry that has been enhanced as a result of globalization. The resultant consequences are the destruction of global economies, effects on the well being of society from both the physical, societal and spiritual point of views. In this case, the use legalization in the recent past such the war on drug effort in the US and the united nation connection on illicit drugs have been unsuccessful due to the nature of the current global issues. Also, such initiative and legislation have been focusing on consumer and supplier, which tend to be infective in the long run. The universal law of drug offers the most viable solution since it attacks the market rather than the market participant. However, the legal, ethical implication of this approach is attributed to the decision making capability of an individual and their understanding of what is perceived right or wrong. Overall, it essential for government and stakeholder to reconsider the drug legislation approach that has the potential to curb the drugs trafficking menace compared to other legislations such as drug prohibition. Comment by Allega, Amanda: consequences, as a result, Comment by Allega, Amanda: This sentence is difficult to follow. Consider revision. Comment by Allega, Amanda: ineffective

References

Alexy, R. (2012). Law, Morality, and the Existence of Human Rights*. Ratio Juris, 25(1), 2–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9337.2011.00499.x

Burger, J. M. (2002). Four Decades and Counting. Contemporary Psychology, 47(6), 665–667. https://doi.org/10.1037/001262

Enderwick, P. (2016). The transnational organization of the drug trade. In Financial Crimes: Psychological, Technological, and Ethical Issues (pp. 309-327). Springer, Cham.

Gunvanti, B, P. P. (2015). Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking Vis-A-Vis Human Life – A Review. La Prensa Medica, 101(2). https://doi.org/10.4172/lpma.1000144

Jenner. (2011). International Drug Trafficking: A Global Problem with a Domestic Solution. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 18(2), 901. https://doi.org/10.2979/indjglolegstu.18.2.901

Rivera, B., Casal, B., & Currais, L. (2017). The social cost of illicit drugs uses in Spain. International Journal of Drug Policy, 44, 92–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.03.012

UNRISD. (1994). Illicit Drugs: Social Impacts and Policy Responses | Publications | UNRISD. Retrieved July 12, 2020, from www.unrisd.org website: http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpAuxPages)/4C3D0BE90FAD550480256B6400419B57/

Yu, B., Chen, X., Chen, X., & Yan, H. (2020). Marijuana legalization and historical trends in marijuana use among US residents aged 12–25: results from the 1979–2016 National Survey on drug use and health. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-8253-4

Zhengbo, L. (2020). The Moral Wrong of Drug Legalization. The European Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 167–172. https://doi.org/10.29013/ejhss-20-2-167-172

Zarhin, D., Negev, M., Vulfsons, S., & Sznitman, S. R. (2018). Rhetorical and regulatory boundary-work: the case of medical cannabis policy-making in Israel. Social Science & Medicine, 217, 1-9.

Dominant Microprocessor Company Intel Adapts to Next Trend

With continuous innovation, ever-faster, more-powerful chip designs, and a business plan rivetedon supplying the $300 billion personal computer (PC), and tablet industries, Intel Corporation dominates the high-end market in microprocessors. After being forced out of the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip business by Japanese rivals in 1986, Intel reinvented itself as the lead supplier of microprocessors for PCs. Intel has an 85 percent market share in the microprocessor chips for laptops and 75 percent market share for desktops. In addition, Intel sells90 percent of the chip sets that control the flow of data from the microprocessor to the display screens, modems, and graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Its market dominance provides it with enormous economies of scale in production and increasing returns on its marketing expenditures because of network effects. The result is high markups and margins; for example, Intel has attimes earned 25 percent net profit margins on its microprocessors. Because intellectual property is the company’s most important asset, Intel protects its proprietary trade secrets about chip design and manufacture by using tight nondisclosure agreements with its customers. Some Intel chip bulk purchasers found, however, that Intel withheld vital information about technical specifications required to fully integrate the chips into new products unless it is given access toits customers’ new technologies. Intergraph, a maker of high-end workstations for media applications, alleged, for example, that Intel withheld information about subtle bugs in someIntel chips until Intergraph agreed to license its GUI technology to the chip supplier. Intel’s high-end chips are designed to run Microsoft’s complex software for PCs and tablets. In 2007, 261million units were shipped on a 2.1 billion installed base of PCs. The market for digital telephones, handheld computers, video-game players, and set-top control boxes for digital televisions may be even bigger than the PC market. Such devices require inexpensive flash memory chips that quickly process data. Samsung and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are the leaders in this new chip segment. To break into this business, former Intel president Andy Grove says Intel must prepare to sell lower-end chip products for under $40, despite the fact that Intel’schips previously sold for $87 to $200.

Textbook:

Managerial Economics: Applications, Strategy, and Tactics (14th Edition)

James McGuigan, R. Charles Moyer, & Frederick Harris

(Chapter 11 pg. 384-385)

Global Societal Problem, Argument and Solution

[WLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this assignment, please review this  Sample Final Paper GEN499  for additional guidance on the expectations of this assignment.

The topic of your essay needs to be a global societal problem from the following list:

· International drug trafficking

Reflect: Based on the topic that you have chosen, you will need to use critical thinking skills to thoroughly understand how this topic can be a global societal problem and determine some logical solutions to the problem.

Write: This Final Paper, an argumentative essay, will present research relating the critical thinker to the modern, globalized world. In this assignment, you need to address the items below in separate sections with new headings for each.

In your paper,

· Identify the global societal problem within the introductory paragraph.

· Conclude with a thesis statement that states your proposed solutions to the problem. (For guidance on how to construct a good introduction paragraph, please review the  Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) from the  Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).)

· Describe background information on how that problem developed or came into existence.

· Show why this is a societal problem.

· Provide perspectives from multiple disciplines or populations so that you fully represent what different parts of society have to say about this issue.

· Construct an argument supporting your proposed solutions, considering multiple disciplines or populations so that your solution shows that multiple parts of society will benefit from this solution.

· Provide evidence from multiple scholarly sources as evidence that your proposed solution is viable.

· Interpret statistical data from at least three peer-reviewed scholarly sources within your argument.

· Discuss the validity, reliability, and any biases.

· Identify the strengths and weaknesses of these sources, pointing out limitations of current research and attempting to indicate areas for future research. (You may even use visual representations such as graphs or charts to explain statistics from sources.)

· Evaluate the ethical outcomes that result from your solution.

· Provide at least one positive ethical outcome as well as at least one negative ethical outcome that could result from your solution.

· Explain at least two ethical issues related to each of those outcomes. (It is important to consider all of society.)

· Develop a conclusion for the last paragraphs of the essay, starting with rephrasing your thesis statement and then presenting the major points of the topic and how they support your argument. (For guidance on how to write a good conclusion paragraph, please review the  Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) from the  Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).)

The Global Societal Problem, Argument, and Solution Paper

· Must be 1,750 to 2,250 words in length (approximately between seven and nine pages; not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s  APA Style (Links to an external site.) resource.

· Must include a separate title page with the following:

· Title of paper

· Student’s name

· Course name and number

· Instructor’s name

· Date submitted

· For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to  APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).

· Must utilize academic voice. See the  Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.

· Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.

· For assistance on writing  Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as  Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.

· Must use at least eight scholarly sources.

· Source Document Requirements:

· Multimedia sources (such as videos) may be used, but no more than two such sources may be used. If multimedia sources are used, they must be authored and distributed by credible sources, such as universities, law schools, medical schools, or professors, or found in the Ashford University Library.

· Government sources may be used, but no more than two such sources may be used. Examples include whitehouse.gov, state.gov, usa.gov, cdc.gov, and so forth. These websites can be used to make a stronger point about your proposed solution within the argument.

· Where documents are used for source materials, those must be peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles, and academically published books. Popular media sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, television and radio shows, etc.) must not be used. Materials from advocacy groups (e.g., Greenpeace, Human Rights Campaign, National Organization for Women, etc.) must not be used.

· Sites such as ProCon.org and Wikipedia must not be used.

· Religious texts must not be used.

· The  Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for an assignment. The  Integrating Research (Links to an external site.) tutorial will offer further assistance with including supporting information and reasoning.

· Must document in APA style any information used from sources, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s  Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.).

· Must have no more than 15% quoted material in the body of your essay based on the Turnitin report. References list will be excluded from the Turnitin originality score.

· Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style. See the  Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

Good Critical Thinking Tips:

· Your paper should include academic sources that explain multiple sides of the issue.

· Your interpretations of the evidence should be objective and state the conclusions and theses presented in the evidence clearly and fairly.

· Your paper should place the various forms of evidence in relation to one another and demonstrate why one form or perspective is stronger than the other positions that one could take on the issue.

· Your paper should point out the limitations of current evidence and attempt to indicate areas for future research.

Writing Tools:

·

· Before you submit your written assignment, you are encouraged to review the The Grammarly Guide: How to Set Up & Use Grammarly (Links to an external site.) tutorial, set up a Grammarly account (if you have not already done so), and use Grammarly to review a rough draft of your assignment. Then carefully review all issues identified by Grammarly and revise your work as needed.

Introduction, Thesis Statement, and Annotated Bibliography

Angela Williams

GEN 499: General Education Capstone

July 1, 2020

Introduction, Thesis Statement, and Annotated Bibliography

The size of the global illicit drug market is estimated at US$ 321.6 billion. Various drugs are illegally smuggled into many countries all over the world. Because of international drug trafficking, many people around the world have access to drugs. The fact that various drugs are trafficked to various countries is proof that further research is needed to identify how people smuggle drugs and what can be done to stop drug trafficking. International drug trafficking reduces the overall performance of people and risks human life. International drug trafficking has increased the level of exposure to drugs among people living in various places and made them vulnerable to injuries and diseases and adversely impacted social and economic development of people; therefore, it is important for every nation to be vigilant when inspecting various products being imported and the luggage of those who travel from one country to another and ensure that all illicit drug use is banned domestically.

Jenner, M. S. (2011). International drug trafficking: A global problem with a domestic solution. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 18(2), 901-927.

Matthew S. Jenner provides a history of the illegal drug industry and focuses on drug traffickers. He also examines previous attempts to control the illegal drug industry. The strengths and weaknesses of previous strategies used to control the illegal drug industry have been explained. Jenner also proposes a solution to international drug trafficking: universal legalization. He argues that international drug trafficking has been thriving because the traffickers can make money as no one else is in business. If it is universally legalized, the drug traffickers will run out of business. Jenner also explains the regulatory framework that national governments can use to control domestic drug problems when drug trafficking is legalized. Jenner’s article is relevant to my paper because it explains the possible solutions to international drug trafficking. The paper gives an adequate explanation of the role that national governments have to play to ensure that the problem of domestic drug use is resolved.

Hughes, C. E., Chalmers, J., Bright, D. A., & McFadden, M. (2016). Poly-drug trafficking: Estimating the scale, trends, and harms at the Australian border. International Journal of Drug Policy, 31, 80-89.

Caitlin Elizabeth Hughes, Michael McFadden, Jenny Chalmers, and David Anthony Bright explore the extent, nature, and the harms of poly-drug trafficking at the Australian borders. They argue that there has been an increase in the number of drugs that drug traffickers deal with. The researchers relied on data from the Australian Federal Police (AFP). They also used the unit-record data on various cases of drug trafficking. "Between 5 % and 35 % of commercial importations at Australian borders involve poly-drug trafficking" (Hughes et al, 2016). The authors argued that poly-drug traffickers pose the greatest risk to law enforcers and governments. The article is relevant to my paper because it describes the extent of international drug trafficking and gives harms of drug trafficking. The harms of drug trafficking explained in the article would be useful to explain why it is important to conduct further research on international drug trafficking and relate to its ethical issues.

Enderwick, P. (2016). The transnational organization of the drug trade. In Financial Crimes: Psychological, Technological, and Ethical Issues (pp. 309-327). Springer, Cham.

Peter Enderwick examines the nature of the illicit drug industry, its method of organization, and its size. He also analyzes the impact that new technologies have had on the illicit drug industry. The ethics in international drug trafficking have also been considered in the article. The study finds out similarities in the organization of legal and illegal international businesses. It explains that globalization has had an impact on the organization of both legal and illegal international businesses. The author argues that transnational criminal organizations have continually used new technologies to enhance their operations and reduce the likelihood of being detected. Law enforcement agencies have faced challenges in stopping the operations of transnational criminal organizations because of their advanced skills in the use of the latest technologies. The article is relevant to my paper because it explains the ethics involved in international drug trafficking and how the drug traffickers are able to use technology to avoid being detected. Research on new technologies would be needed by governments to combat drug trafficking.

Marinescu, B. (2018). CONTEMPORARY ISSUES RELATED TO ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING AND CONSUMPTION TARGETING THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF ROMANIA. Challenges of the Knowledge Society, 1069-1076.

Bogdan Marinescu explains the contemporary issues that are related to international drug trafficking. He argues that international drug trafficking has reduced the level of national productivity because some people cannot work efficiently. He also argues that it has caused a population decrease because of juvenile mortality, and the number of criminals has increased. Marinescu thinks that international drug trafficking affects all of us because as a society, we lag behind in development. He explains how the number of prisoners especially those who are young has increased and the increased risk to individual safety. The author also explains what should be done to control drug trafficking. First of all, he explains that corruption should be fought to ensure that drugs are not smuggled into countries by bribing the officials. He also explains the need for detecting the drug traffickers and ensuring that there is a more efficient control in the customs. The article is relevant to my paper because it explains the effects and solutions to international drug trafficking.

Smakhtin, E. V., Sidorov, A. S., & Sidorova, N. V. (2019). Drug trafficking through the internet: Problems of the counteraction and methods of their solution. Astra Salvensis, 7(S1), 443-456.

Evgeniy V. Smakhtin, Anatoly S. Sidorov, and Natalya V. Sidorova of Tyumen State University explain the extent of drug trafficking through the internet and propose measures that can be taken to prevent it. They also explain the effects of drug addiction such as the effect on national security, legal order, the society, and individual health of those who abuse the drugs. Some of the problems identified in the counteraction of drugs are in the detection of the crimes. Others are more technical. "The scientific and technical problems of using the information technologies in the intelligence operations" (Smakhtin et al, 2019). They also explain that the implementation of proposed measures to prevent international drug trafficking is usually a huge challenge. They argue that bilateral international scientific cooperation between countries should be increased to help counter international drug trafficking. The authors also argue that law enforcement officers should have adequate technical capabilities to solve the problem of drug trafficking through the internet. The article is relevant to my paper because it explains possible solutions to international drug trafficking.