The first 'war on drugs' was launched by which president?

• A. Woodrow Wilson in 1918
• B. Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932
• C. Harry Truman in 1946
• D. Richard Nixon in 1971

Answer: (D)

The first War on Drugs refers to a nationwide effort to curb illegal drug use that began when President Richard Nixon declared in 1971 that drug abuse was a national security problem and launched a coordinated federal strategy, creating the framework for ongoing enforcement and policy through the National Drug Control Policy (with the Drug Enforcement Administration following a couple of years later). This specific move in 1971 is what established the war on drugs in U.S. policy. Earlier eras and presidents dealt with different issues or earlier forms of regulation, so they do not match the modern, nationwide anti-drug campaign that Nixon initiated.