The first chapter provides an overview of the evolution of drug abuse in the U.S. from the early 18th Century to the present, emphasizing the social and cultural events that shaped the nature of drug use and drug control policy. The book discusses heroin and cocaine trafficking and use in terms of the drugs' cultivation, refinement and distribution, methods of ingestion, and effects. Another chapter outlines a social history of the criminalization of drug use in this country, followed by examinations of facts and myths regarding drug-related crime. The final chapter and epilogue discuss the social, economic, and political implications of drug trafficking, and provide recommendations for the reformulation of American drug policy. Chapter references
War on Drugs: Heroin, Cocaine, Crime, and Public Policy
NCJ Number
155052
Date Published
1986
Length
245 pages
Annotation
This book, using both anecdotal and empirical data, examines the nature of American drug policy against the backgrounds of social and cultural change.
Abstract