Notwithstanding prohibition, consumption of illegal drugs in Italy is one of the largest in Europe. Meanwhile, other drugs (tobacco, alcohol) are legally sold, but their consumption is discouraged by the application of pigouvian taxes. We calculated what would have been in 2000/05 the budgetary implications of having regulated the market for heroin, cocaine and cannabis as the tobacco’s market was. We estimate a budgetary benefit of about €60 billions. On average, €2 billions per year from saving police, judicial and correctional enforcement costs, and €8 billions from sale and excise taxes (€5,5 billions from cannabis and €2 billions from cocaine).
The budgetary implications of drugs prohibition: Italy, 2000-05 / Rossi, Marco. - ELETTRONICO. - (2008). (Intervento presentato al convegno Società Italiana di Diritto ed Economia, Fourht Annual Conference. tenutosi a Bologna nel 7/8 Novembre 2008).
The budgetary implications of drugs prohibition: Italy, 2000-05.
ROSSI, Marco
2008
Abstract
Notwithstanding prohibition, consumption of illegal drugs in Italy is one of the largest in Europe. Meanwhile, other drugs (tobacco, alcohol) are legally sold, but their consumption is discouraged by the application of pigouvian taxes. We calculated what would have been in 2000/05 the budgetary implications of having regulated the market for heroin, cocaine and cannabis as the tobacco’s market was. We estimate a budgetary benefit of about €60 billions. On average, €2 billions per year from saving police, judicial and correctional enforcement costs, and €8 billions from sale and excise taxes (€5,5 billions from cannabis and €2 billions from cocaine).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.