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The Drug (Statistics) War: Is Cocaine Getting More Expensive?
Marc Lacey
NY Times (Economix Blog)
4.17.09
To show that President Felipe Calderon of Mexico is making inroads in his battle against drug traffickers, the United States government points to the rising price of cocaine. The average price per gram of cocaine in the United States increased 21 percent, to $117.72 from $97.01, from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2007, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
On top of that, the purity of cocaine samples tested by the D.E.A. decreased 12 percent (to 58.79 percent pure from 66.99 percent) in the same period.
But the Washington Office on Latin America, an advocacy group in Washington, takes issue with the D.E.A.’s analysis.
In a report released this week, WOLA points out that there has been a general downward trend in cocaine prices in recent decades, despite the occasional spikes, indicating that crackdowns on cocaine trafficking are not working. Cocaine purity has largely held steady, the group says, citing new data released by the Obama administration:
“When new price spikes are announced,” John Walsh, WOLA’s senior associate for drug policy, said in a statement, “they have to be considered in light of the historical evidence, not mere wishful thinking. None of the many previous spikes have put a lasting dent in the U.S. cocaine market.”
The new data, WOLA says, indicate that cocaine prices in 2007 were at the lowest level on record, nearly 22 percent below the 1999 price. Helping Mexico to reduce drug-related violence, WOLA argues, will not necessarily translate into a sustained reduction in the flow of drugs.
Link!
Marc Lacey
NY Times (Economix Blog)
4.17.09
To show that President Felipe Calderon of Mexico is making inroads in his battle against drug traffickers, the United States government points to the rising price of cocaine. The average price per gram of cocaine in the United States increased 21 percent, to $117.72 from $97.01, from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2007, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
On top of that, the purity of cocaine samples tested by the D.E.A. decreased 12 percent (to 58.79 percent pure from 66.99 percent) in the same period.
But the Washington Office on Latin America, an advocacy group in Washington, takes issue with the D.E.A.’s analysis.
In a report released this week, WOLA points out that there has been a general downward trend in cocaine prices in recent decades, despite the occasional spikes, indicating that crackdowns on cocaine trafficking are not working. Cocaine purity has largely held steady, the group says, citing new data released by the Obama administration:
“When new price spikes are announced,” John Walsh, WOLA’s senior associate for drug policy, said in a statement, “they have to be considered in light of the historical evidence, not mere wishful thinking. None of the many previous spikes have put a lasting dent in the U.S. cocaine market.”
The new data, WOLA says, indicate that cocaine prices in 2007 were at the lowest level on record, nearly 22 percent below the 1999 price. Helping Mexico to reduce drug-related violence, WOLA argues, will not necessarily translate into a sustained reduction in the flow of drugs.
Link!
