NCJ Number
147394
Journal
International Journal of Addictions Volume: 28 Issue: 14 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 1531-1548
Date Published
1993
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Based on findings from a 1990 survey of State drug policy coordinators in all 50 States and the responses to a national mass public survey, This article explores the implications of the survey's findings for drug policy in the United States.
Abstract
State drug policy elites' perceptions of the relative seriousness of nine different specific drugs were assessed, together with their evaluations of Federal drug policy. Significant differences in State elites' attitudes were found for certain regional effects, for the relative degree of State urbanism, and for relative State income levels. These results are compared against the findings from a 1989 CBS News/New York Times mass opinion survey that measured citizen's perceptions on drug misuse and the efficacy of Bush administration policy initiatives. This comparison reveals a wide disparity between elite and mass attitudes regarding appropriate funding of the drug war, the rating of Federal drug policy initiatives, and Federal drug policy strategies. Such mass/elite perceptual disparities accentuate the difficulties inherent in pursuing a drug war strategy. 8 tables, 3 notes, and 22 references