psychotropic substances, which as a result of the enforcement and high risk associated with the trade course prices to increase, as the drug market is not regulated by authority rather it is determined by the supply and demand. However, the effort by local and international law enforcement agents to tackle or reduce the output of illicit drugs, did not brought about any shift in the quantity of output as the amount of drugs seized in previous years are doubled in the next cropping season, meaning that, Law enforcement is not the best approach for drug control (Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of UNODC, 2007). Also the enforcement to eradicate the production of cocoa crops, will not stop the farmers, farming which is only the main source of their income, rather, the measures will displace the farmers to other areas, causing the farmers to shift their attention to other areas, which are seen as safe place, the “Balloon effect”, the traffickers, small sellers and farmers will move to continue their business. The farmers who need little or no technology and cost to start farming will use the opportunity created by law enforcement personnel to cultivate new crops in their new location, while the traffickers will look for new routes to transit their drugs, and the petty sellers to change the location of operation. However, the containment programme like interdiction and illicit drug enforcement laws will create artificial scarcity while the price of heroin, cocaine and marijuana will go up. The more risk involved to obtain and sell illicit drugs, the more prices will go up, consumers will have to pay a higher price to obtain the drug, the price rise will result in low consumption, and the less risk will result to more drugs available, cheaper price and pure quality, unlike where the price is high, traffickers and petty sellers will adulterate the drug to enable them maximize their profit and this will be harmful to consumers.
However, the positive effect of increasing price of illicit drug to consumers, for example in the USA, during 1980’s and early 1990’s, the consumption level was very low, as the youths were less likely to experiment using illicit drug, due to its high cost but during the 1980’s, people were more likely going to experiment using drug due to the low price, because it is readily affordable, as marijuana was very cheap and affordable, making it more likely that the consumption level will rise again as marijuana will be the choice drug of the youths and adults; in contrast to cocaine and heroin, which is a high class drug.
The experimental level was so low, because the price of class A drugs were high, making, researchers to conclude that, increase price, makes consumption level to be low, while the consumption level increases when the price is low, however, both the use of heroin and cocaine have the same pattern (NHSDA).
Moreover, increase price due to increase risk, might encourage consumers to look inward rather than outward in drug consumption. Consumers may have a rethink on the amount of drug they will be able to buy when price is high, hence the consumer, will put into consideration on the amount of money he will use for other household items, and may choose to purchase lower dose of illicit drug with the same amount of money, hence overspending on the cost of drug will affect other household expenses. The addict may also choose between going to prison and deciding to take drug treatment/rehabilitation in other to quite, or alternatively may switch over to other types of drug, which is cheaper than cocaine or heroin.
It could be said that demands
