Since the early twentieth century, American society has sought to control the problem of drug abuse largely through its criminal justice system. During the 1970s and 1980s, sharp increases in drug use and the emergence of dangerous new substances such as crack cocaine fueled what has been dubbed a war on drugs. This led to massive increases in state and federal narcotics enforcement efforts and stiffer criminal penalties for drug offenders that in turn led to sharp increases in prison... więcej

Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2022. 3p.