A (Long) History of American Drug Panics
On the Media | Apr 14, 2017
The War on Drugs has been fueled as much by political rhetoric and media frenzy as it has by policy. Since Nixon's address to Congress in 1971, the American public has experienced a slew of drug scares, each with its accompanying depictions of depravity and social deterioration. And following Nixon, nearly every president would spend more on law enforcement than drug treatment -- and see prison populations surge.
Brooke talks to Craig Reinarman, author of Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice about how the media, and even American presidents, have played a role in criminalizing drugs.
