The War on Drugs movement started in which decade?

The War on Drugs movement started in which decade?

• A. 1960s
• B. 1970s
• C. 1980s
• D. 1990s

Answer: (B)

The movement starts in the early 1970s. This period marks the moment when drug policy in the United States shifted to a coordinated, enforcement-focused approach across federal, state, and local levels. The key turning point is President Nixon’s 1971 declaration of a “war on drugs,” which framed drug use as a crime and national security issue, followed by steps like the creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1973. Those actions established the sustained, high-profile effort that defines the War on Drugs, making the 1970s the correct decade. While later decades intensified and expanded these policies, the origin lies in the 1970s.

The movement starts in the early 1970s. This period marks the moment when drug policy in the United States shifted to a coordinated, enforcement-focused approach across federal, state, and local levels. The key turning point is President Nixon’s 1971 declaration of a “war on drugs,” which framed drug use as a crime and national security issue, followed by steps like the creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1973. Those actions established the sustained, high-profile effort that defines the War on Drugs, making the 1970s the correct decade. While later decades intensified and expanded these policies, the origin lies in the 1970s.