President Nixon s The War On Drugs Essay - 2295 Words

President Nixon first declared the â€Å"war on drugs† on June of 1971. This came after heavy drug use during the 1960s. New York in particular, had a rise in heroin use. After Nixon’s declaration, states began decriminalizing the possession and distribution of marijuana and other drugs. Many small drug offences led to a mandatory fifteen years to life. This Drug War has led to an increase of incarceration rates since. One of the earliest laws that followed Nixon’s announcement were the Rockefeller Drug Laws that to not only failed to deter crime but also lead to other problems in the criminal justice system. With the Rockefeller Drug Laws came heavy racial disparity of those incarcerated for drug related crimes. Although the Obama Administration has begun reforms, the new President Elect Trump’s views may bring all the efforts back down. Nixon’s declaration had pushed law makers and politicians across the states to implement more punitive drug laws . Prior to the Nixon’s declaration, New York’s governor Nelson Rockefeller â€Å"had backed drug rehabilitation, job training and housing† to combat the city’s drug problems (Mann, Brian. â€Å"The Drug Laws That Changed How We Punish†. NPR.). After Nixon declared a national war on drugs however, Rockefeller’s political views shifted. According to Joseph Persico, Rockefeller’s closest aid, Rockefeller turned to Persico and said, â€Å"For drug pushing, life sentence, no parole, no probation†. When Rockefeller Launched his campaign, he called for aShow MoreRelatedPresident Richard Nixon s The War On Drugs1335 Words   |  6 PagesStarting in 1971, President Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs. He stated, â€Å"America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.† The War on Drugs aimed to fight against a supply and demand epidemic that had America at its knees. 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