Drugs in the United States

In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defined the word "drug" as an "article intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals" and those "(other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals."^[2] Consistent with that definition, the U.S. separately defines narcotic drugs and controlled substances, which may include non-drugs, and explicitly excludes tobacco, caffeine and alcoholic beverages.^[3]

• History of United States drug prohibition
• Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Drug Enforcement Administration

The War on drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, and the stated aim to define and reduce the illegal drug trade.^[4][5] This initiative includes a set of drug policies of the United States that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of illegal psychoactive drugs. The term "War on Drugs" was first used by President Richard Nixon in 1971.

The first Drug court in the United States took shape in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 1989 as a response to the growing crack-cocaine usage in the city. Chief Judge Gerald Wetherington, Judge Herbert Klein, then State Attorney Janet Reno and Public Defender Bennett Brummer designed the court for nonviolent offenders to receive treatment. This model of court system quickly became a popular method for dealing with an ever-increasing number of drug offenders. Between 1984 and 1999, the number of defendants charged with a drug offense in the Federal courts increased 3% annually, from 11,854 to 29,306. By 1999 there were 472 Drug Courts in the nation and by 2005 that number had increased to 1262 with another 575 Drug Courts in the planning stages; currently, all 50 states have working Drug Courts. There are currently about 120,000 people treated annually in Drug Courts, though an estimated 1.5 million eligible people are currently before the courts. There are currently more than 2,400 Drug Courts operating throughout the United States.

Drug smuggling across US borders may be done by several means.^[6] Packages may be carried by people, or by cars, trucks and Railcar, hidden in Compartment.^[6] Boats and submarines penetrate sea borders.^[6] Drones pass above and tunnels pass below the usual routes of smuggling.^[6]

• Pharmacies in the United States
• Prescription drug prices in the United States
• National Drug Code

Doping is the taking of performance-enhancing drugs, generally for sporting activities. Doping has been detected in many sporting codes, especially baseball and football.

In December 2007 US Senator George Mitchell released Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball asked Mitchell to conduct an independent investigation to see how bad steroid use was in baseball. In the report, Mitchell covers many topics and he interviewed over 700 witnesses. He covers the effects of steroids on the human body. He also touches on human growth hormone effects. He reports on baseball's drug testing policies before 2002 and the newer policies after 2002. Mitchell also named 86 players in the report that had some kind of connection to steroids. Among those named were: Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Eric Gagne. To finish his report, Mitchell made suggestions to the Commissioner of Baseball about drug testing and violations of the drug testing policies. Mitchell also reported that he would provide evidence to support the allegations made against such players and would give them the opportunity to meet with him and give them a fair chance to defend themselves against the allegations. The report also includes a paper trail of evidence that states, "Former Mets club house attendant, Kirk Randomski sent performing enhancement drugs to the players mentioned in the report." Quinn, T.J. and Thompson, Teri Daily News Sports Writers [New York, N.Y.] CT. (2007):66^[8][9]

A survey of over 6000 teenagers revealed:

• Teenagers and young adults typically get their alcohol from persons 21 or older. The second most common source for high school students is someone else under age 21, and the third most common source for 18- to 20-year-old adults is buying it from a store, bar or restaurant (despite the fact that such sales are against the law).
• In the 12th grade, boys were more likely than girls to buy alcohol from a store, bar or restaurant.
• Teenagers with higher weekly incomes are more likely to buy alcohol from a store, bar or restaurant.
• It is easy to get alcohol at a party and from siblings or others 21 or older.^[10]

How easy is it for youth to buy alcohol?

• When young females attempted to buy beer without an ID at liquor, grocery or convenience stores, 47–52% of the attempts, beer was sold (1, 2) and nearly 80% of all the stores sold beer to the buyers at least once in three attempts; nearly 25% sold beer all three times.(1)
• When young females attempted to buy beer without an ID at bars or restaurants, 50% of the attempts resulted in a sale to the buyer.(2)
• When young males and females attempted to buy beer without an ID at community festivals, 50% of the attempts resulted in a sale to the buyer.(3)^[10]

Of note:

• Prohibition in the United States
• Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States
• Alcohol-related traffic crashes in the United States

The use, sale, and possession of cannabis containing over 0.3% THC by dry weight in the United States, despite laws in many states permitting it under various circumstances, is illegal under federal law.^[15] As a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970, cannabis containing over 0.3% THC by dry weight (legal term marijuana) is considered to have "no accepted medical use" and a high potential for abuse and physical or psychological dependence.^[16]

• Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction
• Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States
• Legal history of cannabis in the United States
• Medical cannabis in the United States
• Removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act

Cocaine is the second most popular illegal recreational drug in the United States behind cannabis,^[17] and the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of cocaine.^[18]

In 2020, the state of Oregon became the first U.S. state to decriminalize cocaine.^[19][20] This new law prevents people with small amounts of cocaine from facing jail time. In 2020, the U.S. state of Oregon would also become the first state to decriminalize the use of heroin.^[21] This measure will allow people with small amounts to avoid arrest.^[22]

In January 2019, the Oregon Psilocybin Society and research firm DHM Research found that 47 percent of Oregon voters supported the legalization of medical psilocybin, while 46 percent opposed it. The percentage of voters in favor increased to 64 percent after key elements of the ballot were clarified to the poll's participants.^[24]

An October 2019 online poll conducted by research firm Green Horizons found that 38 percent of U.S. adults supported legalizing psilocybin "under at least some circumstances."^[25]

In November 2020, a ballot measure to legalize medical psilocybin passed with 55.8% of voters in favor.^[26]

• History of commercial tobacco in the United States
• Cigarette taxes in the United States

Statistics in 2018 estimated that about 14.9% of adults (18 and over) had ever used e-cigarettes, and around 3.2% of all adults in the United States were current e-cigarette users. These same stats also noted that 34 million U.S. adults were current smokers, with E-cigarette usage being highest among current smokers and former smokers who are attempting or have recently quit cigarettes.^[27]

Overall, it is estimated that 5.66 million adults in the US population reported current vaping 2.3%. From those users in the population, more than 2.21 million were current cigarette smokers (39.1%), more than 2.14 million were former smokers (37.9%), and more than 1.30 million were never smokers (23.1%).^[28]

A significant concern for public health safety in the United States arises also from Mexico, where illicit opium poppy cultivation is on the rise. The Mexican government reported eradicating 21,425 hectares of opium poppy fields in 2014, up from 14,419 hectares in 2013. From 2010 to 2015, the number of heroin seizures along the U.S.-Mexico border more than doubled. According to the DEA, Mexican drug trafficking organizations are not only major suppliers of heroin but also the largest international sources of cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine that enter the United States.^[29]

443,000 Americans die of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke each year. For every smoking-related death, another 20 people suffer with a smoking-related disease. (2011)^[30]

California's adult smoking rate has dropped nearly 50% since the state began the nation's longest-running tobacco control program in 1988. California saved $86 billion in health care costs by spending $1.8 billion on tobacco control, a 50:1 return on investment over its first 15 years of funding its tobacco control program.^[30]

An estimated half a million children worked in the fields of America picking food as of 2012, although the precise number working in tobacco fields is unknown. In eastern North Carolina, children have been interviewed as young as fourteen who worked harvesting tobacco, and recent news reports describe children as young as nine and ten doing such work. Federal law provides no minimum age for work on small farms with parental permission, and children ages twelve and up may work for hire on any size farm for unlimited periods outside school hours. According to Human Rights Watch, farm-work is the most hazardous occupation open to children.^[31][32]

State	Population (2010)	Drug Users (2010)	Drug Deaths (Total 2010)	Drug Deaths (per 100,000)	Federal Grants (2010)	Grant/Drug User
Alabama	4,779,736	06.73%[33]	554	12	$80,040,503	$248.82
Alaska	710,231	11.79%[34]	75	11	$30,760,934	$367.36
Arizona	6,392,017	08.95%[35]	981	15.5	$138,524,069	$242.36
Arkansas	2,915,918	07.96%[36]	326	11.5	$47,138,163	$203.09
California	37,253,956	09.07%[37]	4178	11.4	$832,107,905	$246.26
Colorado	5,029,196	11.72%[38]	747	15.4	$111,188,470	$188.64
Connecticut	3,574,097	08.23%[39]	444	12.7	$103,493,029	$351.84
Delaware	897,934	09.14%[40]	102	11.8	$24,161,839	$294.40
Florida	18,801,310	07.80%[41]	2936	16.1	$338,129,029	$230.57
Georgia (U.S. state)	9,687,653	07.32%[42]	1043	10.6	$321,114,660	$452.83
Hawaii	1,360,301	09.92%[43]	142	11.1	$37,176,146	$275.50
Idaho	1,567,582	08.00%[44]	133	8.9	$21,076,027	$168.06
Illinois	12,830,632	07.17%[45]	1239	9.6	$234,968,808	$255.41
Indiana	6,483,802	08.79%[46]	827	13.0	$91,020,232	$159.71
Iowa	3,046,355	04.08%[47]	211	7.1	$58,962,185	$474.39
Kansas	2,853,118	06.77%[48]	294	10.6	$40,234,098	$208.30
Kentucky	4,339,367	08.41%[49]	722	17	$100,547,625	$275.52
Louisiana	4,533,372	07.16%[50]	862	20.1	$80,230,847	$247.18
Maine	1,328,361	09.09%[51]	161	12.2	$36,320,286	$300.79
Maryland	5,773,552	07.29%[52]	807	12.7	$192,136,722	$456.50
Massachusetts	6,547,629	08.87%[53]	1003	15.6	$245,061,344	$421.96
Michigan	9,883,640	08.95%[54]	1524	15.3	$243,556,706	$275.33
Minnesota	5,303,925	08.24%[55]	359	6.9	$95,867,509	$219.35
Mississippi	2,967,297	06.39%[56]	334	11.4	$50,554,343	$266.62
Missouri	5,988,927	07.38%[57]	730	12.4	$123,020,244	$278.34
Montana	989,415	10.02%[58]	132	13.8	$28,332,837	$285.79
Nebraska	1,826,341	06.43%[59]	92	5.2	$34,675,170	$295.27
Nevada	2,700,551	09.35%[60]	515	20.1	$46,367,799	$183.63
New Hampshire	1,316,470	12.15%[61]	172	13.0	$55,388,743	$346.29
New Jersey	8,791,894	06.42%[62]	797	9.2	$113,795,702	$201.61
New Mexico	2,059,179	10.07%[63]	447	12.8	$150,896,974	$727.71
New York	19,378,102	09.82%[64]	1797	9.2	$1,875,136,099	$985.39
North Carolina	9,535,483	08.88%[65]	1223	13.0	$403,912,656	$477.01
North Dakota	672,591	05.3%[66]	28	4.3	$36,344,108	$1,019.55
Ohio	11,536,504	07.61%[67]	1691	14.7	$207,925,242	$236.84
Oklahoma	3,751,351	08.09%[68]	687	19	$67,359,062	$221.95
Oregon	3,831,074	12.80%[69]	564	15.1	$104,298,167	$212.69
Pennsylvania	12,702,379	06.57%[70]	1812	14.6	$283,229,043	$339.38
Rhode Island	1,052,567	13.34%[71]	142	13.4	$43,604,718	$310.55
South Carolina	4,625,364	06.70%[72]	584	13.2	$77,790,340	$251.02
South Dakota	814,180	06.28%[73]	34	4.3	$31,840,106	$622.72
Tennessee	6,346,105	08.22%[74]	1035	16.8	$107,211,391	$205.52
Texas	25,145,561	06.26%[75]	2343	9.8	$384,444,836	$244.23
Utah	2,763,885	06.24%[76]	546	20.6	$47,059,651	$272.86
Vermont	625,741	13.73%[77]	57	9.2	$58,913,913	$685.73
Virginia	8,001,024	07.33%[78]	713	9.2	$173,221,243	$295.36
Washington	6,724,540	09.59%[79]	1003	15.5	$130,527,165	$202.40
West Virginia	1,852,994	06.79%[80]	405	22.4	$45,059,469	$358.13
Wisconsin	5,686,986	08.67%[81]	639	11.4	$107,259,369	$217.54
Wyoming	563,626	06.82%[82]	68	13	$12,483,581	$324.76
United States	308,143,815	08.11%	38260	12.4	$8,304,469,106	$332.19

• Crime in the United States
• Drug prohibition
• Federal drug policy of the United States
• Harm reduction in the United States
• Illegal drug trade in the United States
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Opioid epidemic in the United States
• Women in the drug economy in the United States