War on Drugs

The War on Drugs is a U.S. government campaign against illegal drug production, trafficking, and use, formally launched by President Richard Nixon in 1971.

Controlled Substances Act: A 1970 U.S. law that created the federal drug scheduling system and consolidated federal drug-control rules. It supplied the legal framework for federal drug prohibition and enforcement.
Richard Nixon: The 37th president of the United States, whose administration formally launched the War on Drugs in 1971. Nixon announced the campaign and expanded federal drug-control institutions.
Mass incarceration: The large-scale expansion of imprisonment in the United States, especially from the late twentieth century onward. Drug enforcement and sentencing contributed to the growth of U.S. imprisonment.
Harm reduction: Policies and practices that reduce health and social harms associated with drug use without requiring abstinence. It prioritizes reducing immediate harms rather than relying chiefly on criminal punishment.
Drug legalization: The removal of legal prohibitions on specified drugs, usually accompanied by rules governing production, sale, or use. Legalization raises unresolved questions about regulation, public health, and illicit markets.
Drug Enforcement Administration: A U.S. federal agency established in 1973 to enforce controlled-substance laws and coordinate drug investigations. It became the principal federal agency for domestic drug enforcement.
Harrison Narcotics Tax Act: A 1914 U.S. federal law that regulated opiates and coca products through taxation and registration requirements. It established an earlier federal framework for restricting narcotics.
Crack epidemic: A period of widespread crack cocaine use and related social harms in U.S. cities during the 1980s and early 1990s. The epidemic intensified political demands for punitive drug laws and enforcement.
Drug decriminalization: The removal of criminal penalties for specified drug-related conduct, often personal possession, while other controls remain. It offers an alternative to arresting and prosecuting people for personal possession.
Drug courts: Specialized courts that connect eligible defendants with supervised treatment and other services as an alternative to conventional prosecution. They test whether treatment-linked diversion can reduce reoffending and drug-related harms.

Linked from 24 pages