Presidential Influence On Teenage Drug Abuse
Presidential Influence and Teenage Drug Abuse.
"Just don't do it", the slogan from Bob Dole's anti-drug campaign upon a cursory
evaluation, may appear to have been an inefficient way of confronting the growing
problem of national drug abuse. After all, it is hardly reasonable to believe that a
potential drug user will specifically consider these words before deciding whether
to get high or not.
However, this slogan, and the man that stands behind it, represents a sorely
needed, value-oriented stance on the issue that was lacking in the Clinton
administration. The president's cavalier attitude was responsible for a dramatic
increase in drug abuse among teenagers. While Clinton's baby boomer generation
dismissed aggressive anti-drug campaigns as ineffectual, the truth is that tough
approaches to the problem have proven to be very successful. The Nixon, Reagan
and Bush Sr. administrations are direct examples of this.
When Richard Nixon began his first term, use of marijuana and heroin had
reached an all-time high. In response, he vowed to wage a national attack on
narcotics abuse, which involved reducing the flow of drugs into the country while
stepping up drug treatment programs. Nixon began his work by arranging for the
extradition of noted heroin chemists, and sent ambassadors to negotiate narcotics
agreements with foreign countries. Turkey, which provided about 80 percent of the
U.S. heroin supply promised a complete cessation of its production in exchange for
$35.7 million in aid. On the national level, the Nixon administration further proved
its dedication to the cause by legalizing the use...
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