International Drug Policies: Sanctions/Economic Assistance

[Page 410]A sanction is an attempt by a government to incite a change in policy by exerting economic pressure on one or more countries. Sanctions are imposed for a variety of reasons. In the area of international drug policy, one country may use sanctions to express dissatisfaction with another country's drug policies or in an attempt to change the other country's policies. The most typical sanctions include trade embargoes, restrictions on imports and exports, denial or restriction of foreign assistance, and control of foreign assets and transactions that involve a country's own citizens or businesses operating abroad. Each particular sanction is different in that it has its own length, severity, breadth, and set of termination agreements. Generally, the stipulations for termination of the sanction are ...