Public Enemy Number One Research Paper

1909 Words4 Pages

“Public enemy number one” was the term coined by former President Richard Nixon to describe the rapidly increasing epidemic of drug abuse in the United States of America. The issue was first recognized in the late 1960’s, when drug-related arrests rose, catching the attention of the chief of state. The war on drugs was first declared in 1971 and continues to impact people and communities in America to this day. At its height, violent crime, high incarceration, drug abuse, and intense police enforcement plagued the United States. Millions of people in America are sent to jail for small and large drug charges. The lasting impacts and consequences of the war on drugs are felt by many, but primarily impede the lives of black and brown people in …show more content…

Years after Anslinger’s stint, the Controlled Substance Act was signed by former president Richard Nixon in 1970, classifying all drugs by their medicinal use and likelihood of being abused. Drugs such as weed and LSD were classified under schedule 1, meaning they were among the most addictive and easiest to misuse. The following year, Nixon declared drugs as “public enemy number one” and sparked what is now known as the “War on Drugs”. His proclamation came as the result of a growing use of recreational drugs in the 1960’s, leading Congress to grant $350 million to fight the growing distribution and possession of narcotics. The first area this targeted was abroad, where soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War were using drugs to get through the long battle. Back in the states, Nixon imposed relentless punishments for drug related charges for both possession and distribution of illegal substances. He also created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1973 to specifically target drug use and smuggling in the United States. The system that Nixon created would go on to become one of great stature but also great consequence for many …show more content…

Many condemn America’s retaliation against drug users as it does little-to-nothing when trying to erase the drug epidemic permanently and rather temporarily put offenders away, leading to a likely relapse in behavior after release. Those who recognize the problem with the outlawing of drugs instead call for the decriminalization of drugs to end the issue. In recent years, the relentless punishments and methods used in drug control have cost people their lives, such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, when both died at the hands of police abuse in suspected drug related situations. Drug reform, rather than control, has been widely supported to reverse the damage done by the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs spans over five decades, touching the lives of most Americans. As U.S. leaders identified the problem of what drugs can do to the society, they chose to crack down on users and addicts, instilling policies that would, in the grand scheme of things, cause irreversible damage, primarily felt by minority

Open Document