Statistics from the War on Drugs
All dollar amounts are unadjusted for inflation.
1914 Year the federal government first outlawed narcotics
1937 Year federal government outlawed marijuana
1966 Year federal government outlawed LSD
1986 Year federal government outlawed Ecstasy (MDMA)
75 Millions of dollars the DEA spent in 1973, the year of its birth
1.5 Billions of dollars the DEA spent in 2000
2,898 Number of people the DEA employed in 1973
9,132 Number of people the DEA employed in 2000
226,304 Number of state and local officers the DEA trained for the drug war from 1991 through 1999
1988 Year the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy was established
6.3 Percentage of U.S. population 12 years and older who reported using "illicit" drugs within the past month in 2000
59 Percentage of past-month drug users who only smoked pot
0.1 Percentage of population ages 12 and over who smoked crack within the past month
0.1 Percentage of population ages 12 and over who used heroin within the past month
9.7 Percentage of population ages 12?17 who used any illegal drug within the past month
19.6 Percentage of population ages 18?20 who used any illegal drug within the past month
7 Percentage of population ages 30?34 who used any illegal drug within the past month
6.5 Percentage of population ages 40?44 who used any illegal drug within the past month
1.5 Percentage of population ages 60?64 who used any illegal drug within the past month
4.2 Percentage of college graduates who used drugs within the past month
18.4 Percentage of 18?22 year old college students who used drugs within the past month
7.7 Percentage of men who used any illegal drug within the past month
5 Percentage of women who used any illegal drug within the past month
6.4 Percentage of white Americans who used drugs within the past month
5.3 Percentage of Hispanic Americans who used drugs within the past month
6.4 Percentage of black Americans who used drugs within the past month
20 Percentage of federal and state prisoners serving time for drug offenses in 1998 who were white
22 Percentage of federal and state prisoners serving time for drug offenses in 1998 who were Hispanic
57 Percentage of federal and state prisoners serving time for drug offenses in 1998 who were black
923,000 Number of heroin addicts in the U.S. in 1988
977,000 Number of heroin addicts in 2000
39 to 77 Range, in billions of dollars, Americans spent annually to purchase cocaine between 1989 and 1998
10 to 22 Range, in billions of dollars, Americans spent annually to purchase heroin between 1989 and 1998
400 Dollars a pure gram of cocaine cost in the U.S. in 1981
170 Dollars a pure gram of cocaine cost in the U.S. in 1998
2,000 Dollars a pure gram of injection-grade heroin cost in 1981
400 Dollars a pure gram of injection-grade heroin cost in 1998
(Sources: DEA, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse)
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