Introduction

Drug abuse has been a menace in America for a very long time. So severe is the problem that a lot of effort has been put towards trying to control the use of drugs and other harmful substances of this kind. A brief history of drug abuse in America shows that drugs have been in the country for almost two centuries. The very first cases of drug abuse were reported in the 1800's. The American Civil war is said to have largely contributed to the entry of substances such as opium into the country. Towards the end of the 19th century, cocaine also found its way into America. By the end of that century, the use of cocaine and opium had reached uncontrollable levels, and the use of the substances was declared an epidemic.

Measures Put in Place to Fight Drug Abuse

Over the years, successive governments have tried to put up measures and regulations to curb the use of drugs in the country. The first efforts towards the war against drugs were seen in the early 20th century where opium importation was prohibited by local governments and the Pure Food and Drug Act was enacted to help control the use of such substances (Liebenson, 2018). Over the years, many such enactments have been made and laws enforced towards that goal. However, there have been concerns as to whether the war against drugs is yielding any fruits. Such concerns are justified by the rising cases of fatalities and unlawful activities that are linked with drug abuse.