Research investigation.docx - The Criminality of Drug Use...

The Criminality of Drug Use and Abuse 1
The Criminality of Drug Use and Abuse
Johnathon P. Lesly
SNHU SCS 200

The Criminality of Drug Use and Abuse 2
I. Introduction: In this section, you will discuss your social science issue and select resources that
you can use to research the issue. Specifically, you should do the following:
In the year 1971, President Nixon first stated that Illegal drug use was "public enemy number
one” and with that, the United States started its "war on drugs". (Britannica, 2022) Ten years
later President Reagan expanded the "war on drugs" and congress a few years later passed the
Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 which set mandatory minimum sentences. All of this is what led to
the mass incarceration problem that we have today. Just like prohibition in the 1920s it has done
more harm than good. Drug use and abuse have been relegated to being just another crime and
the treatment of addiction has been put on the back burner as we as a society focus on
punishment instead of treatment, this perpetuates a revolving prison door where addicts are sent
right back into prison when they inevitably relapse after release if they don't end up overdosing
like so many do.
A. Describe the issue in the social sciences that you have selected to investigate. Why is this
issue significant?