Summary
In 1973 President Richard Nixon declared an “all-out global war” against “the drug menace.” In the ensuing decades, the War on Drugs has grown rapidly, with annual federal spending reaching $13.2 billion in 1995. The impact of the drug war on every aspect of American society has been tremendous. Its casualties can be counted on street corners, in an ever-growing prison population and, many would argue, in an erosion of fundamental rights. With truthful information hard to find, there seems to be no clear way to measure progress in the drug war, let alone to declare victory.
Drug Abuse explores all aspects of this complex and important issue in an unbiased and well-organized manner. It identifies specific drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, designer drugs, and performance-enhancing drugs, and covers the history of U.S. drug regulation, current approaches to treating addiction, and the way drug abuse has shaped public policy. This valuable reference examines laws such as the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, and the 1970 Controlled Substances Act; court cases such as Leary v. United States, United States v. Dunn, and Ferguson v. City of Charleston; and explains the role various federal agencies play in regulating drugs.
Extensive appendixes include a list of acronyms of organizations, drugs, and other terms related to discussions of drug abuse; a list of commonly used street names for drugs; graphs showing the extent of drug abuse and enforcement efforts in the United States; an excerpt of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act; and excerpts from the 2001 United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative.