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In modern times, American policymakers have loved to declare war against a social or medical problem. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared simultaneous wars against cancer and illicit drugs. And President George W. Bush declared a war on terrorism after the September 11th attacks. Fighting an idea or a long-term problem usually opens policymakers up to criticisms that such wars are unwinnable and unfairly raise public expectations. The war on drugs is a case in point, as the United States has committed billions of dollars over the last forty years to halt the use and smuggling of illicit drugs. In fact, prior to September 11th there were concerns that American forces would become involved in the Colombia civil war between its government and the FARC, a group of communist rebels that use the drug trade to bolster their coffers. The war on drugs has been criticized for punishing low-level offenders, which has had a disproportionate impact on minority males, and largely failing to solve America’s drug problem. Recently, heroin use in the United States has become a significant problem as the federal government has cracked down on prescription drug abuse and two weeks ago, on March 10th, Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the United States facing an “urgent public health crisis” concerning heroin. The death of Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman last month due to an overdose of heroin and other drugs has also contributed to raising national awareness about this issue.
This topic brief will explain the history of heroin use in the United States, the reasons given for the recent surge in heroin usage, and policy solution (some of which are controversial) that may help federal and state authorities reduce heroin use and overdoses.
Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.
