RT Article
T1 Enforcement intensity in Danish drug control, 1996–2017
JF European journal on criminal policy and research
VO 27
IS 4
SP 571
OP 586
A1 Møller, Kim 1971-
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1788478959
AB Enforcement intensity towards drug law offences in Denmark has increased since 2004, making Denmark one of the few Western countries that is heading towards a more repressive drug control approach. The aim of this study is to examine patterns and correlates of drug enforcement intensity over time. Policy documents and criminal statistics on drug law offences, from 1996 to 2017, are analysed in the context of the rationality perspective and the theory of policy coherence. Time series analyses and bivariate tests of statistical significance are used to examine enforcement intensity over time, between seasons, and in the gender and ethnic composition of convictions. Three periods are identified, delineated by documents that set forth drug policy aims. From 1996 to 2003, a series of qualitative changes to the legal framework was introduced, followed by a quantitative increase in enforcement pressure from 2004 to 2010 with a focus on Copenhagen. From 2011 to 2017, other regions of the country also increased enforcement. The increased intensity in drug control followed a period of increasing cannabis prevalence rates. The increase in reported minor drug law offences correlated with increased seasonal variations and increased disparity in the gender and ethnicity of convicted individuals.
K1 Drug Policy
K1 Deterrence
K1 policy implementation
K1 Policy coherence
K1 Denmark
DO 10.1007/s10610-020-09437-4