The War on Drugs refers to the recent trend in United States political and military systems of sweeping prohibition efforts to end illegal drug trafficking. The first use of the term war to describe these policies occurred when President Richard Nixon gave a speech on June 18, 1971 in a press conference for the Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, in which he referred to drug abuse as public enemy number one. However, Nixon was not the first U.S. President to support stringent drug control policies; his actions were a continuation of existing policies.
One of the most significant aspects of the U.S. Drug War can be traced back to 1952, when Congress passed the Boggs Act. This act established the U.S. policy of mandatory minimum sentencing. With mandatory minimums, courts are required to sentence first-time offenders with a minimum sentence depending on the drug. The Boggs Act referred specifically to Cannabis possession, and many of its elements were later repealed. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 strengthened the system of mandatory minimum sentencing, and added provisions for other types of drugs. Mandatory minimum sentences have been criticized for being inflexible and unfair, and have contributed to the overall trend of prison overcrowding in the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 49.8% of inmates, about 100,000 people, are currently incarcerated due to a drug offense. Less than 30% of inmates are violent offenders.
Though there have been drug prohibition laws in the United States since 1860, the Drug War is strongly associated with President Ronald Reagan. In 1986, Reagan signed into law the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which, in addition to strengthening the mandatory minimum sentencing policies, appropriated $1.7 billion to fund the war on drugs, and also shifted the federal supervised release program from a rehabilitative focus to a punitive one. The supervised release program refers to the measures that inmates must do when they are released on probation. These programs usually consist of regular drug tests and meetings with probation counselors. Historically, these systems were in place to help recovering drug addicts stay on track once they were out of prison. However, the shift to a punitive focus reflected a desire to punish those involved in illegal drugs, rather than help them recover and get their lives back on track. During Reagans presidency, the First Lady, Nancy Reagan began a campaign called Just Say No, which was focused on educating youth about the dangers of drug abuse and on different ways they can say no to drugs.
One of the most notable aspects of the war on drugs is its apparent targeting of lower income and minority communities. With the passing of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, possession of 28 grams of crack cocaine warrants a five year mandatory minimum sentence for a first-time offender. In order to get the same sentence for possession of powder form cocaine, someone would have to have 500 grams. While some argue that crack cocaine is more addictive and therefore deserves a higher sentence, some medical experts dispute this by stating that there is no pharmacological difference between the two forms of cocaine. Many people assert that, because crack cocaine is statistically linked to impoverished Black communities while powder cocaine use is most common among affluent White communities, the legal disparity between powder and crack cocaine is potentially rooted in racist beliefs. While both forms of the drug are harmful and addictive, the drastic differences between the mandatory minimum sentences reflects a devotion to punish drug offenders at all costs, rather than on working to find a solution that would land less people in prison. In 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.
View original post here:
The War on Drugs - Crime Museum
- THE WAR ON DRUGS EXPLAINED Vox [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- War On Drugs: Pictures, Videos, Breaking News [Last Updated On: June 14th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 14th, 2016]
- War on drugs news, articles and information: - NaturalNews [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- The War on Drugs: The Prison Industrial Complex - Top ... [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- The War on Drugs (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- War on Drugs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- War-On-Drugs.net [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2016]
- A Brief History of the Drug War | Drug Policy Alliance [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2016]
- Police Wage War on Drugs in the Philippines Photos - ABC News [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2016]
- The United States War on Drugs - Stanford University [Last Updated On: July 29th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 29th, 2016]
- History of the War on Drugs - About.com News & Issues [Last Updated On: August 23rd, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 23rd, 2016]
- How America Lost the War on Drugs - News | Rolling Stone: [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2016]
- Chasing the Scream | The First and Last Days of the War on ... [Last Updated On: January 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 23rd, 2017]
- Ice Wars: ABC documentary shows reality of Australia's war on drugs - The New Daily [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- War on drugs: Priest speaks out against Philippines 'blood lust' - CNN [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Philippines: Duterte must end his "war on drugs" - Amnesty International [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- PDEA: Army to play support role in war on drugs - ABS-CBN News [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- State to push on with drugs war Ruto - VIDEO - Daily Nation - Daily Nation [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- California Is Wondering If Trump and Sessions Will Relaunch the War on Drugs - New York Magazine [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Where Is Death Penalty Legal? Duterte's War On Drugs In Philippines Would Mean More Executions If Capital ... - International Business Times [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Letter: The failed 'war on drugs' divides country - Rockford Register Star [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Words won't win war on drugs - The West Australian [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Tanzania: Magufuli Adds Weight to War On Drugs - AllAfrica.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Congressmen: Let's take a new look at the war on drugs - AZCentral.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- President Duterte Threatens to Extend Drug War and Kill Korean ... - Newsweek [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- War on drugs not war vs poor: Cayetano | ABS-CBN News - ABS-CBN News [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Magufuli adds weight to war on drugs - The Herald [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Trump's 'Great Wall' and the 'Drug War' - Consortium News [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- How Much is the War on Drugs Costing Us? - Los Cerritos News [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Trump Watch: Emboldened cops and border patrol agents, a more 'ruthless' war on drugs, and threats against the ... - Washington Post [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Increasing opposition in Philippines to war on drugs: UN official - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- DERMODY: War on Drugs requires more than 'quick-fix' | The Daily ... - RU Daily Targum [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Palma: Church leaders will continue to oppose bloody war on drugs ... - Inquirer.net [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Shahbal to introduce tough laws to curb drug abuse - Daily Nation [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- In Trump's 'ruthless' vow, experts see a return to the days of the drug war - Washington Post [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Rights agency calls for sober talk in war on drugs - Daily Nation [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Trump on Drug War: 'We're Going to be Ruthless ... We Have No Choice' - CNSNews.com [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Mexico Should Ask Trump to Pay For The Drug War - AlterNet [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- War on drugs has left us with a latticework of crime - The Boston Globe [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- President Duterte Changes and Defends Philippine Drug War - Voice of America [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Why war on drugs fires up our soft political underbelly - The Standard (press release) [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Unnecessary fighting south of the border: Mexico should ask Trump to pay for the drug war - Salon [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- After war on drugs, it's 'war vs illegal gambling' for PNP - Rappler [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Duterte militarises the war on drugs in the Philippines - World Socialist Web Site [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Death of a businessman: How the Philippines drugs war was slowed - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Sh170m heroin recovered in war on drugs at Coast - The Standard (press release) [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- President Trump Just Renewed the War on Drugs - MERRY JANE - MERRY JANE [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Donald Trump Vows 'Ruthless' War on Drugs and Crime - The Daily Chronic [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Is Ending The War On Drugs A Panacea? - Modern Times Magazine [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Duterte targets Philippine children in bid to widen drug war - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Simonson: The war on drugs - La Crosse Tribune [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Scott Pendleton: Civil forfeiture is an important tool in fighting the war on drugs - Tulsa World [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Go whole hog in war on drug lords - The Standard (press release) [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Trump goes full Nixon on law-and-order, vows ruthless war on drugs and crime - Salon [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Human Rights Watch: Japan should condemn Duterte's drug war - Philippine Star [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- War on drugs intensified as police arrest wanted drug baron's accomplice - The Star, Kenya [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Duterte attributes war on drugs success to AFP's support | SunStar - Sun.Star [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Duterte's 'war on drugs' in the Philippines - Deutsche Welle [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- President Trump Signs Executive Order Ramping Up The War On ... - TheFix.com [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- A man of God in the Philippines is helping document a bloody war on drugs - Columbia Journalism Review [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Reckoning with the Addict and the U.S. War on Drugs - OUPblog - OUPblog (blog) [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Duterte calls for stronger AFP support in war on drugs, terror - Inquirer.net [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- In Manila, Catholics March Against War on Drugs Tactics - Voice of America [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Napolcom: Police need to regroup, rethink role in war on drugs - Inquirer.net [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- HRW on war on drugs: PH needs 'international intervention' - Rappler [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Study: Mexican Military Should Not Have Intervened In Country's War On Drugs - Fronteras: The Changing America Desk [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Why we can't seem to end the War on Drugs | TheHill - The Hill (blog) [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Philippine's Rodrigo Duterte urged to drop charges against leading war on drugs critic - Telegraph.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- War on Drugs | The Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Our Aggressive "War on Drugs" Is Not Actually About Drugs - AlterNet [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Shots fired in war on drugs - Commonwealth Journal's History [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Philippines to defend Duterte's drug war at UN rights body - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- War on drugs: a failing battle against suffering - The Suffolk Journal [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Ureport: WAR ON DRUGS NOT ABOUT PERSONAL FIGHTS - The ... - The Standard (press release) [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Palace: Arrest order vs De Lima a 'fulfillment' of war on drugs - Inquirer.net [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- How Rodrigo Duterte's War On Drugs Looks In Colombia - Worldcrunch [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Opponent of Duterte's drugs war arrested in Philippines on drug charges - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Trump administration signals new war on drugs, crackdown on marijuana use - ThinkProgress [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Philippine citizens protest Duterte's drug war on anniversary of dictatorship overthrow - Deutsche Welle [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- Our View: White House plan reignites wasteful war on drugs - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]