Since the early twentieth century, the United States has led a global prohibition effort against certain drugs in which production restriction and criminalization are emphasized over prevention and treatment as means to reduce problematic usage. This “war on drugs” is widely seen to have failed, and periodically decriminalization and legalization movements arise. Debates continue over whether the problems of addiction and crime associated with illicit use of drugs stem from their illegal status or the nature of the drugs themselves. In The Long War on Drugs Anne L. Foster explores the origin of the punitive approach to drugs and its continued appeal despite its obvious flaws. She provides a comprehensive overview, focusing not only on a political history of policy developments but also on changes in medical practices and understanding of drugs. Foster also outlines the social and cultural changes prompting different attitudes about drugs; the racial, environmental, and social justice implications of particular drug policies; and the international consequences of US drug policy.
- Cover
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction. The Meaning of Drugs
- 1. The Many Uses of Drugs
- Part I. The Battle for Prohibition, 1870–1940
- 2. Identifying the Problem
- 3. Deciding on Prohibition
- 4. International Conferences
- 5. Changing Practice and Policy in Medicine and Public Health
- Part II. To a Declaration of a War on Drugs, 1940–1980
- 6. Opportunities of World War II and Its Aftermath
- 7. US Laws and International Conventions
- 8. Who Is Using?
- 9. War on Drugs Declared
- Part III. Blurring the Lines, 1980–Present
- 10. Mandatory Minimums
- 11. Environmental Effects of the War on Drugs
- 12. Marijuana’s Different
Path
- 13. New Challenges to the War on Drugs
- Conclusion. Never-Ending War on Drugs?
- Glossary
- Notes
- Suggestions for Further Reading
- Index
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
Text
Audio
Adobe DRM
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