The Public and the War on Illicit Drugs

This study, a Harvard School of Public Health meta-analysis of 47 national surveys conducted between 1978 and 1997, unifies much of the existing public opinion findings on Americans views of drug policy. It covers a broad range of topics including American views on the dangers of drug use, criminal justice approaches to drug control, medical marijuana and needle exchange. The authors suggest that the major finding of their study is that although most Americans feel the "War on Drugs" has failed, they support increased spending for drug control efforts.