Sensationalistic stories about drug harm erupted for different drugs at different times. Which pairing is correct?

• A. Marijuana in the 1910s
• B. Crack cocaine in the 1950s
• C. PCP in the 1990s
• D. Methamphetamine in the late 1980s to the 2000s

Answer: (D)

Media-driven fears about drug harm rise and fall with the drugs themselves. The late 1980s through the 2000s saw a surge of sensational reporting on methamphetamine—stories about meth labs, rampant addiction, and extreme consequences that dominated headlines and shaped policy. That pattern makes methamphetamine in the late 1980s to the 2000s the most accurate pairing.

Marijuana did not trigger a major nationwide sensationalism in the 1910s; the prominent anti-drug campaigns around marijuana came later, around the 1930s. Crack cocaine drew intense national attention in the 1980s, not the 1950s. PCP had notable coverage earlier, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, rather than the 1990s.