The War on Drugs- a campaign to fight illegal drugs in the US- was titled as such for about 40 years before President Obama took office and abolished it. The campaign against illegal drugs has had wide-ranging effects on American society- politically, economically and socially.

Incarceration has only begun to decline since 2010. Yet, the prevalence of illegal drug use and sale has remained consistent. Clearly the US has approached this problem from the wrong angle. Drug abuse is without a doubt a social issue; it may be that only the American collective can regulate it effectively.