But decades of proclamations by political leaders of all stripes, accompanied by massive expenditures, have had a limited effect. Nevertheless, U.S. policymakers continue to struggle with combating the nation's illegal drug problem. Despite the funds devoted to fighting illegal drug use, the U.S. has not succeeded in significantly reducing either the demand for or the supply of drugs.
Illegal drugs remain cheap and plentiful.
The illicit drug trade flourishes and has transformed many inner cities into war zones. The articles in this section discuss our policies and what we might do instead.