Fifty Years of the War on Drugs: Ongoing Struggles and Shifting Policies

In June 1971, then-President Richard Nixon said the U.S. had a new public enemy number one: addiction. It was the beginning of America's long war on drugs.

Fifty years later, during months of interviews, NPR found a growing consensus across the political spectrum — including among some in law enforcement — that the drug war simply didn't work.

The stories in this episode are from NPR's Brian Mann and Eric Westervelt as part of a special series: The War On Drugs: 50 Years Later.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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