War_On_Drugs_20th_Century

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=War On Drugs = The War on Drugs was officially declared by the Nixon Administration in 1970. It is an ongoing attempt by the government to control **drug abuse** and **illegal drug** **use**. This is both a social and a law enforcement problem. The government uses strict laws created in various acts to attempt to control this problem.



Historical Factors that Led to the War on Drugs
The fight aginst drugs dates back to 1954 and President Eisenhower's committee to "stamp out narcotic addiction." However, the term "War on Drugs" was first used by President Nixon when he created the Drug Enforcement Administration in **1973**. Dramatically **increasing drug usage**, especially cocaine and heroin, led to the formation of many organizations including the DEA, intended to minimize drug addiction and illegal drug use. The natural opposition between these organizations and those dependent on drugs led to inevitable and disastrous conflicts.

Obstacles to the War on Drugs
Obstacles to the War on Drugs includes increased **violence**, specifically in Mexico, the number one provider of drugs to the United States. Many people make their living off of selling drugs, and they would not give that up willingly. The **ineffectiveness of antidrug programs** such as D.A.R.E., "Just Say No" clubs, and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America has also been a problem.

Government Acts
**Harrison Tax Act (1914)** - The Harrison Tax Act was passed in 1914. It restricted the sale of heroin and cocaine.
 * Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) ** - The Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1906. At this period it targeted toxic drugs. In 1912 it was expanded to target misleading labels on drugs also.
 * Marijuana Tax Act (1937) ** - The Marijuana Tax Act was passed in 1937. It put extremely high taxes on marijuana in an attempt to tax marijuana into oblivion.
 * Boggs Act (1951) ** - The Boggs Act was passed in 1951. It established federal punishments for possession of marijuana, cocaine, and opiates.
 * Narcotic Control Act (1956) ** - Senator Daniel Price led a committee that wanted to create harsher punishments for the possession of marijuana, cocaine and opiates. This led to the Narcotic Control Act, which was passed in 1956, and made the punishments established in the Boggs Act more severe.
 * Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (1970) ** - The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act was passed by the Nixon administration in 1970. This Act focused on enforcement and prevention of drug use.
 * Amended in 1979 to allow police officials to seize any possessions from a suspect that were going to be used to trade for drugs
 * Antidrug Act (1986) ** - The Antidrug Act was passed by the Reagan Administration in 1986 in response to the lowered price of crack cocaine. It established a law that possession of 50 grams of crack cocaine would have the same penalty as possession of 5000 grams of powdered cocaine.

Organizations
** U.S. Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics ** - Established in 1954 by President Eisenhower, he formally declared war on drugs during this meeting. **National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)** - founded 1970; wants to decriminalize marijuana
 * Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) ** - founded 1968; many drug agencies are brought together into one bureau with the intention of lessening tensions between the agencies. However, this doesn't help with the tensions between this new ureau and Customs.
 * Narcotics Treatment Administration ** - founded 1970; Dr. Robert DuPont is able to expand his treatment program for heroin addicts. Although controversial, the burglary rate- widely believed to be linked to drug addiction- decreased by 41% in a year.
 * Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE) ** - founded 1972; federal and local forces join together to combat the drug trade with Myles Ambrose as its director.
 * Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ** - founded 1973; headed by John R. Bartels, a new agency is forced to consolidate agents from existing groups such as the BNDD, Customs, and ODALE
 * Families in Action ** - formed 1976; parental organization against teenage drug abuse
 * South Florida Drug Task Force ** - formed 1982; agents from various organizations fight drug traffickers

Nixon Administration[[image:http://www.bensingerdupont.com/main/images/bob2.jpg width="88" height="114" align="right"]]
**Dr. Robert L. DuPont** - He was the first Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 1973 to 1978 and the second White House Drug Chief in 1973 to 1978. **Jerome Jaffe** - Jaffe was Nixon's Chief of Special Action Office of Drug Abuse Prevention in 1971. He established a series of methadon e treatment facilities in the U.S.   **Myles Ambrose** - Ambrose was appointed to head of White House Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement in 1972. He came up with the idea for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Carter Administration
**Peter Bourne** - Bourne was the Special Assistant to the President for Health Issues. He was in charge of drug problems for President Carter. He resigned in 1978 because of rumors that he had used drugs. **Mathea Falco** - Falco was the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters under the Carter Administration. She is now the President of Drug Strategies.

Reagan Administration
**Carlton Turner** - Under the Reagan Administration, Turner served in the Drug Abuse Policy Office from 1981 to 1983. He was Special Assistant to the President for Drug Abuse Policy from 1983 to 1985 and was Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Drug Abuse Policy Office from 1985 to 1986. He helped Nancy Reagan with her drug abuse education programs. **Donald Ian MacDonald** - MacDonald served as Special Assistant to the President for Drug Abuse Policy and Director of the White House Drug Abuse Policy Office from 1987 to 1988. He was Deputy Assistant to the President, and Director of the Drug Abuse Policy Office from 1988 to 1989. Before working for the government he was a pediatrician and then Administrator of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration and head of U.S. Public Health Service.

Clinton Administration[[image:http://www.mccaffreyassociates.com/images/meet_the_press_photo.jpg width="83" height="104" align="right"]]

 * Barry McCaffrey ** - McCaffrey served as Chief of United States Drug Policy from 1996 to 2001. He recieved several awards for his work including the Department of Health and Human Service Lifetime Achievement Award for Extraordinary Achievements in the Field of Substance Abuse Prevention and the Community Ant-Drug Coalitions of America Lifetime Achievement Award.[[image:http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2009/0902/kerlikowske_bio.jpg width="125" height="82" align="right"]]

Obama Administration
**Gil Kerlikowske** - Kerlikowske is Obama's head of Office of National Drug Control Policy.

** 1960s **

 * Drug use becomes popular with younger Americans
 * Operation Intercept: all vehicles crossing the US/Mexico border must undergo a thorough inspection. Does not reduce marijuana trade as was intended

**1970s**

 * Drug trafficking begins to grow more serious
 * More money goes to treatment than law enforcement for the first time
 * Media looks at 'positive' aspects of drug use and fails to mention the negatives

** 1980s **

 * law enforcement officials make a few more big breakthroughs in fighting the drug trade, destroying billions of dollars worth of drugs and arresting key drug traffickers
 * Violence from increasingly powerful drug traffickers leads to the death of a DEA agent, and many Columbians who voiced their opposition to the drug trade, including several Supreme Court justices

1990s

 * less cooperation from Mexico
 * Over 100 drug traffickers arrested
 * //Brownsville Agreement// signed by both Mexico and US due to Mexico's anger at US's undercover law enforcement operations in Mexico. The agreement stated that each country would inform each other about any such operations in the future
 * //North American Free Trade Agreement// makes trade easier between Mexico and US, but makes it more difficult to search for drugs

Effectiveness of the War on Drugs
** To What Degree has the War on Drugs been Successful? and Why is it Still Provoking Thought Today? ** The War on Drugs has **not been very effective**. The United States has spent **trillions of dollars** on the War on Drugs with little effect. Drugs are cheaper and easier to get than before the start of the war. Excessive numbers of people have been **arrested**, but drug trafficking continues. About 19.9 million people in America are illegal drug users. This shows that overall the War on Drugs was ineffective. The War on Drugs is still provoking thought because it has **not yet been resolved**. Drug use and drug trafficking are increasing, despite efforts to put an end to them. It is a seemingly impossible task to completely eliminate drug use in America. This is because of addiction, both to the drugs themselves and to the profit traffickers gain by selling them. People are still thinking of ways to further efforts to successfully end the War on Drugs.