Effekte der verstärkten Bekämpfung des Angebots harter Drogen

Despite many theoretical conjectures about regular drug use, illicit drug markets, and drug policy, there is a lack of relevant empirical evidence. This paper presents results of a systematic survey of regular drug users in the Swiss cities of Bern and Zürich. Its focus is on the observable market effects of a more severe suppression of drug supply by the police. After a short review of the survey and the research design, the paper starts with a brief description of similarities and differences between the local drug markets. It then asks for the effects a more severe suppression of hard drug supply has had at the level of the regular drug user. In sum, the empirical findings suggest that a more repressive practice of law enforcement agencies does not necessarily have the intended effects for central variables at the retail level of the illicit market.